Eugene man, 18, charged with murder after allegedly driving over unhoused woman along Highway 99
An 18-year-old Eugene man has been charged on suspicion of murdering an unhoused woman after allegedly driving over her tent with an SUV before also hitting a pedestrian during a deadly driving rampage Thursday on Highway 99.
The suspect was identified by police Friday as Anthony Charles Rodeen.
The update came after police said Rodeen drove erratically south on Highway 99 on Thursday, starting a little after 3:30 p.m., killing a woman in the tent she was living in on a grassy area near Barger Drive before also hitting a 23-year-old woman walking on the sidewalk next to Dari Mart. Rodeen also drove up onto sidewalks, over railroad tracks and was going south in the northbound lanes, according to police.
Civilians assisted with holding Rodeen down in the Knechts Auto Parts parking lot, where Rodeen got out of his SUV, until police arrived.
Rodeen was arraigned Friday on charges for second-degree murder, second-degree attempted murder, second-degree assault and two counts of hit and run.
Eyewitness account:Citizens help apprehend suspect after Highway 99 driving rampage that killed 1 in Eugene
The charges are the first indicator prosecutors believe Rodeen intentionally caused the death of the woman in a tent. There was also with a man who said the Toyota 4Runner SUV driven by Rodeen missed him by a few feet, according to Eugene Police Department Chief Chris Skinner.
The next court appearance for Rodeen has not been set. It is not yet clear if he has been taken to Lane County Jail from the hospital.
The surviving victim is still in the hospital and is recovering, according to a news release Friday from police spokeswoman Melinda McLaughlin.
For more than four hours, police had closed down a 2-mile stretch of Highway 99, from Roosevelt Boulevard to Barger Drive, while they investigated the scene. The Lane County Sheriff's Office had three calls describing a similar vehicle driving recklessly heading toward Highway 99 on Thursday just before the fatality, Sgt. Raymond May said.
Louis Krauss covers breaking news for The Register-Guard. Contact him at lkrauss@registerguard.com or 541-521-2498, and follow him on Twitter @LouisKraussNews.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Eugene man charged with murder after woman killed in Hwy. 99 rampage
