By News-Register staff • 

Two DUII crashes reported

The Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office responded to two DUII-related motor vehicle crashes Thursday.

The county’s Multi-Agency Traffic Team gave this account of a 7:45 p.m. two-vehicle crash on Northeast Kuehne Road near Northeast Kinney Road, east of Carlton.

A Subaru Impreza, operated by Dale Winterfield, 33, of Beaverton, crossed the centerline and collided with a Dodge Ram 2500 pickup driven by David Martinez, 31, of Newberg. Dash camera footage recovered from Martinez’s shows Winterfield driving into his lane.

Evidence at the scene indicated Winterfield was impaired by alcohol, according to the sheriff’s office, which said speed was also a contributing factor.

A search warrant was served to secure a preliminary blood draw on Winterfield. His blood alcohol content was .24, triple the presumptive level of intoxication of .08 in Oregon.

Winterfield was transported by Life Flight helicopter to a Portland trauma hospital where he was listed in critical condition. Martinez sustained minor injuries and was taken by a private vehicle to a hospital for treatment.

A large malamute dog was ejected from the Subaru and received significant injuries. Deputies were provided assistance from a neighbor in the area who volunteered to drive the animal to the Newberg Veterinary Hospital.

About 5 p.m., there was a single vehicle rollover crash on Highway 99W, south of Lafayette.

The sole occupant and driver of the ivehicle, Donald Crank III, 47 of McMinnville, was not injured. The sheriff’s office charged him with driving under the influence of intoxicants. His BAC was .18, more than twice the presumptive level of intoxication. He was not taken into custody.

The traffic team issued a statement following these two DUII crashes. It read in part:

“Do not drive impaired. The volume of impaired drivers and impaired driving crashes is unacceptable. There is simply no reason to drive impaired.”

Additionally, the Oregon State Police investigated a double-fatal two-vehicle crash Thursday west of McMinnville on Highway 18.

Comments

Oregonian

Call 911 and report drunk drivers. I've done it a handful of times. The massive response from law enforcement is both encouraging and entertaining to watch. There aren't many opportunities to help public safety and get a good show at the same time.

Just call 911 and tell them what you see. They won't (and can't) ask you to follow them, but that is the best way to do it. Stay safely back and give a play by play description of what you see. Keep behind the offending driver even if it takes you out of your planned route. Dispatch will get an officer to your location. Sometime it is hard for them to hit a moving target as they can't see real time exactly where you and the officer are located.

I called one in from Newberg and dispatch couldn't get police on them until we hit McMinnville. The driver had a six squad car welcome to town.

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