Wallowa man arrested near Durkee for DUII and driving the wrong way on I-84
By Garrett Christensen on Tuesday, July 7th, 2026 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER COUNTY – Oregon State Police (OSP) and the Baker County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) stopped an intoxicated wrong-way driver along I-84 near Durkee on Sunday night. The two agencies initially received the report of the wrong-way driver around 7:44 p.m. on July 5, along I-84 near milepost 343, just Northwest of Huntington. The driver was eventually located and stopped near milepost 324 (roughly near Durkee) and taken into custody.
A summary of the response and arrest, as provided by OSP in a recent press log, is as follows:
“On 7/5/26 at approximately 7:44pm, Oregon State Police responded to a wrong way driver call near milepost 343 on Interstate 84. Baker County Sheriff’s office and Oregon State Police responded to that location and found the driver traveling west bound in the east bound lanes near milepost 326. A Baker County deputy was unable to get the vehicle to stop at that location and it continued west. The vehicle finally stopped at milepost 324 and the driver was taken into custody. Oregon State police officers arrived on scene shortly thereafter and took over the investigation.
The driver was arrested for DUII, Reckless driving, and driving while suspended – misdemeanor. The driver was taken to the Baker County jail and gave a breath sample of .20. He was lodged on the mentioned charges and will have multiple other charges sent to the Baker County District Attorney for consideration. The vehicle was 780 impounded and towed from the scene by Blue Mountain towing.”
The driver was identified as 20-year-old Noah Wenke of Wallowa. Wenke’s charges at the time of arrest included:
- DUII – Intoxicants
- Reckless Driving
- Driving while Suspended or Revoked (DWS) – Misdemeanor
As mentioned in the OSP summary, additional charges will be sent to the Baker County DA’s office for consideration. Despite the extreme danger of the situation, no injuries or fatalities were reported by OSP.
