A Multnomah County Sheriff’s Deputy was not seriously hurt after a drunk driver crashed into his marked patrol SUV while on a traffic stop.
On Wednesday, March 5, 2025 at 9:36 p.m., a Multnomah County Sheriff’s Deputy driving a fully marked patrol Chevrolet Tahoe SUV conducted a traffic stop on a driver on eastbound I-84 at Northeast Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard. The vehicle pulled over on the shoulder of the freeway. Due to the narrow shoulder and proximity to the lanes of travel, the deputy had not gotten out of his vehicle and was using his vehicle’s public address (PA) system to instruct the driver to pull forward to the freeway exit. Just seconds later, a driver of a 2018 Jeep Compass SUV approaching the stop struck the Deputy’s vehicle from behind with him still in it. The impact sent the Jeep spinning back out into the freeway.
PPB officers from Central Precinct, North Precinct, and the Traffic Division responded alongside MCSO and Emergency Medical Services. The deputy and the driver of the Jeep were both transported to the hospital. Neither suffered serious injuries.
Interstate 84 eastbound was shut down due to vehicles and debris strewn across the lanes of travel. The Oregon Department of Transportation sent out an alert to the public about the closure.
The PPB Traffic Division investigated the crash and developed information that alcohol impairment on the part of the Jeep driver was a factor. Following an investigation, and after the driver was treated and released from the hospital, officers booked Jose Juan Alvarez, 49, of Beaverton, Oregon, into the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (alcohol). He was also served with traffic violation citations for Failure to Maintain Lane, Careless Driving Contributing to an Accident, and Failure to Install an Ignition Interlock Device.
Source: Multnomah County Sheriff's Office