WASHINGTON COUNTY, Ore. — A brazen biker was tracked down by the Washington County Sheriff's Office air support unit Friday morning after several commuters reported the motorcyclist driving recklessly at more than 100 miles per hour down Highway 26 in the Hillsboro area.
Over the previous few days, law enforcement received several complaints about a reckless driver on a dark motorcycle speeding and weaving in and out of traffic during the early morning hours.
Officers witnessed a motorcycle rider going more than 124 mph at one point, but decided not to pursue due to the excessive speeds and public safety concerns.
"Once law enforcement was pretty sure where the person was going or the area they were going, they set up a proactive mission to see if they could catch him driving using our airplane," explained Detective Shannon Wilde. "It's much safer than trying to follow a motorcycle that’s going 120 miles an hour."
Friday morning, airborne investigators focused their attention on Highway 26 in an attempt to spot and track the motorcyclist. Just before 5:30 a.m., a deputy in the air noticed a black motorcycle traveling westbound down the highway; darting around cars, lane splitting and going over 100 mph.
The plane followed the driver to a parking garage near Northeast Dawson Creek Drive and Shute Road, at the Intel campus. As he was getting off the bike, deputies arrested Alex Gerkin, 23, of Vancouver, and charged him with reckless driving and driving under the influence of intoxicants.
"It is definitely concerning anytime you have somebody who is driving like that in our community consistently," said Wilde. "Clearly this guy was driving that way to and from wherever he was going everyday, and we can’t have somebody doing that."
There have been no reported injuries related to these incidents. Investigators are asking the public to contact the Sheriff's Office if they witnessed and captured video of the motorcycle rider.