A wild chase of an erratic driver from La Pine to Lava Butte Wednesday afternoon led to the citing of a 66-year-old Bend woman, who reportedly tossed several items from a minivan as it occasionally reached speeds of 80 mph, swerving into oncoming traffic numerous times.
There were no injuries, and the woman, later identified as Mary Louise Miller Van Brocklin, was taken into custody without incident after the vehicle was blocked in and stopped. Authorities said Wednesday night they were not yet sure what caused the woman’s erratic driving, but Deschutes County sheriff’s Sgt. Pete Penzenik said, “It could very well have been a medical problem.”
County 911 dispatchers received several reports around 12:45 p.m. of an erratic driver on Finley Butte Road near La Pine, said sheriff’s Deputy Gary Rose. The motorist was reported to be driving all over the road and throwing several items from the vehicle, Rose said.
The 1995 dark-blue Plymouth Voyager was spotted northbound on South Highway 97 near the Burgess road intersection. A deputy tried to stop the vehicle, which accelerated and tried to outrun the deputies, Rose said.
Van Brocklin swerved into the oncoming traffic lane during the chase, forcing southbound traffic to drive onto the shoulder in order to avoid a head-on collision, Rose said. A “spike strip” was deployed, and the Voyager’s right front tire struck it, but the woman continued driving northbound on the steel rim, the deputy said.
Eventually, deputies blocked the vehicle near the Lava Butte Visitors’ Center, where Van Brocklin was taken into custody without incident.
Woman at hospital for observation; `extremely fortunate’ no one was hurt
Penzenik said traffic was stopped to avoid an accident involving the woman, who mostly was driving 60 to 65 mph during the 10- to 15-minute pursuit.
Van Brocklin was cited for attempting to elude a police officer, reckless driving and recklessly endangering another person. She was not lodged in jail, but instead taken to St. Charles Medical Center for observation, Penzenik said.
“We were extremely fortunate nobody got hurt,” Penzenik said. Boxing in the vehicle on the highway was “a last resort, but she was not going to stop,” he said. Paramedics called to the scene found no obvious medical problems, and Penzenik said, “I did not smell any alcohol on her breath.”
