HOOD RIVER, Ore. — A man under the influence of drugs tried to run over a sheriff’s deputy at a trailhead parking lot in the Columbia River Gorge early Monday morning, Oregon State Police said.
The incident unfolded at the Mitchell Point Trailhead, located off Interstate 84 west of Hood River, around 1:30 a.m.
Hood River County Sheriff’s Deputy George Economou was walking toward a vehicle in the parking lot when the driver backed out of the parking spot, drove around the lot and then drove directly toward him, according to OSP. Economou fired several rounds at the vehicle, which crashed into his patrol car and down an embankment.
The driver, 50-year-old Lonnie Stinnett of Garibaldi, Oregon, was not injured. Deputies took him into custody. He faces charges of driving under the influence (controlled substance), reckless driving and recklessly endangering another person.
Deputy Economou was not injured.
The Columbia Gorge Major Crimes Team is investigating the incident.