A speeding driver passed an Portland Police officer in an unmarked vehicle and then sped up to over 118 miles an hour.
Here's the account from Portland Police:
On November 7, 2020, at 7:10 a.m., an officer assigned to the Portland Police Bureau's Traffic Division was traveling westbound on Interstate 84 at Southwest 162nd Ave when an orange Scion come up behind another vehicle in the fast lane. The driver of the Scion came up close to the other vehicle, as if it to encourage it to move over or to speed up, which the vehicle did neither. The officer was driving an unmarked police car in the center lane, slightly ahead of both vehicles, watching the Scion.
There was insufficient room for the Scion to change to the middle lane behind the officer, pass the car in the fast lane, and then move back to the fast lane, so the Scion made a double lane change to the right lane, passed the officer, and then made a rapid double lane change back to the fast lane. The driver of the Scion then accelerated quickly away.
The officer attempted to catch up to the vehicle. The police vehicle's speedometer reached 118 mph when the officer saw the Scion was still pulling away and knew the driver was exceeding 118 mph. The officer activated the emergency lights and siren to stop the Scion.
The driver, identified as 22 year-old Reed D. Ezzell from Troutdale was arrested for Reckless Driving and booked at the Multnomah County Detention Center.
This year the Traffic Division has seen a significant increase in dangerous driving behavior.
For the entire 2019 year, 347 citations were issued for violations where speed exceeded 31 mph over the posted speed limit. In contrast, this year the Traffic Division issued 1211 citations for 31mph over. In 2019 the Traffic Division issued 2466 citations for 21-30 mph in excess of the posted limit. In 2020 we have issued 4506 citations. The increase is not because Traffic Division personnel have been allotting more hours to traffic enforcement. Many of the Traffic Division resources have been pulled from routine duties to assist with protests.
Additionally, a recent ODOT report indicated that since the start of the year there has a 17% decrease in vehicle miles travelled in Portland, yet to date, the city continues to see a steady rise in our serious crashes and has fallen victim to 46 traffic fatalities. Unfortunately, the city is on track for one of the highest traffic fatality rates since the late 90's.
We are asking the public to partner with us in keeping our community safe by being mindful of speed and slowing down, which ultimately will reduce the number of serious and fatal crashes in our community.
To report non-emergency traffic related incidents or to request traffic enforcement the public may call (503) 823-SAFE and they will eventually be contacted by the Traffic Division.