Bend, OR – A suspected impaired driver who allegedly fled deputies during a traffic stop was later found passed out behind the wheel of a stolen truck following a crash in Bend early this morning.
According to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded around 7:36 a.m. Sunday to reports of a possibly impaired driver traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 97 toward Bend. A caller reported the vehicle was weaving and unable to maintain speed.
Deputies located a Ford F-350 that had side-swiped the median near Empire Avenue and the Bend Parkway, authorities said. During a traffic stop, deputies identified the driver as 21-year-old Jaiden Robert Telford of Portland. While deputies were speaking with him and requesting his driver’s license, Telford allegedly fled the scene at a high rate of speed, heading south on Highway 97.
Law enforcement lost sight of the vehicle, but at approximately 8:05 a.m., Bend Police responded to a crash near Northeast Eighth Street and Bennington Lane. Investigators determined the crashed vehicle was the same Ford F-350 involved in the earlier incident.
Authorities said Telford was found passed out behind the wheel. Deputies believed he was suffering from a drug overdose and administered multiple doses of Narcan. He was transported to St. Charles Bend for medical treatment.
Investigators later confirmed the truck had been reported stolen out of Multnomah County, according to DCSO. The other driver involved in the crash was not injured.
NE Eighth Street was temporarily closed during the investigation. Oregon State Police assisted Deschutes County deputies and Bend Police.
Telford was arrested on charges of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (DUII), Attempting to Elude Police, and Reckless Driving. The investigation remains ongoing.
This article was produced by a journalist and may include AI-assisted input. All content is reviewed for accuracy and fairness.
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