Washington Driver Arrested in Baker City After 130 mph Interstate Pursuit

A high-speed run on Interstate 84 ended in north Baker City after Oregon State Police say a Washington driver pushed a Hyundai Sonata past 130 mph through a corridor packed with truck traffic and local motorists.

Trooper Katharine Crawford first clocked the 2012 Hyundai at 106 mph near Milepost 260, just west of La Grande. Crawford said the car passed a commercial truck on the left shoulder and threw up a large cloud of dust, then kept moving eastbound even as she tried to close the gap at more than 100 mph.

Another trooper later spotted the sedan near Milepost 278 and tried to stop it, but the driver continued recklessly eastbound. A third trooper then saw the Hyundai approaching near Milepost 290 by North Powder, with emergency lights already in pursuit. That trooper followed the car for another 15 miles as it kept speeding and making unsafe passes on the shoulders multiple times, officers said.

The chase finally left the freeway at the North Baker City interchange, exit 302. The car was then found at Cedar Street and Hughes Lane in north Baker City after it pulled over and stopped there. Oregon State Police identified the driver as Garret Matthew Breinholt, 31, of Bremerton, Washington. He was arrested about 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, and taken into custody without incident.

Breinholt was booked into the Baker County Jail on charges of reckless driving and attempting to elude police. In Oregon, fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer can be charged as a Class C felony in one form and a Class A misdemeanor in another, depending on how the offense is committed. Court records show he was later released after arraignment Thursday at 1:15 p.m. in Baker County Circuit Court.

The case underscores how quickly a freeway pursuit can turn into a Baker County public-safety risk. I-84 is the main east-west artery through the county, and the stretch between La Grande, North Powder and Baker City can put ordinary drivers, truckers and troopers in the path of a vehicle moving at extreme speed. In this case, the alleged victim listed in court records was society, a reminder that even when no one is physically hurt, a chase like this can threaten everyone on the road.