Union County Sheriff’s Office says intoxicated teens caused two separate crashes
By Joe Hathaway on Thursday, May 9th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
UNION COUNTY – The Union County Sheriff’s Office (UCSO) is reminding everyone about the dangers of drinking and driving, especially teens.
The UCSO says that deputies recently responded to two separate accidents involving teenagers who had been allegedly drinking.
The first occurred near Clark Creek Road and Dutton Road around 2:00am on Sunday, May 5 in Elgin. Deputies responded to a car that had driven off the road and down an embankment. One juvenile male was in the car, which had landed on its roof. The teen was rescued and refused medical treatment.
The UCSO says that the teen displayed signs of impairment and that his blood alcohol level was over the legal limit (In Oregon, any amount of alcohol in your system if you’re under 21 is illegal).
The other crash occurred early on May 4th near La Grande. The UCSO says the crash occurred off of Mount Glen Road and Leffel Road. Three teens were on two dirt bikes. Both bikes crashed and the trio of teens were injured, some seriously. Alcohol is believed to have played a factor in that crash as well.
Cherise Kaechele, Public Information Officer for the UCSO, says these crashes serve as a reminder for parents to teach their kids about the dangers of drunk driving.
“Statistics show the amount of DUIs involving juveniles goes up during the summer,” said Kaechele. “Teach your children the dangers of drinking and driving. Know where they are, and who they are with. One bad decision can be devastating.”
