Eugene man linked to stolen vehicles, hit-and-run that injured bicyclist

A stolen full-size truck struck a 40-year-old bicyclist at High Street and East 15th Avenue in Eugene, then fled, leaving the woman with injuries so severe she required multiple surgeries and is likely to need years of physical therapy.

Eugene police said Steven Ronald Fischer, 25, is now in custody after investigators linked him to that May 20 hit-and-run and to multiple stolen vehicle cases across the city. The collision happened at 1:28 p.m., and police said the bicyclist was riding south in the High Street bike lane when the eastbound truck hit her. Officers later found the truck parked unattended near East 17th Avenue and Alder Street.

Investigators began connecting the pieces after a Street Crimes Unit officer recognized Fischer from surveillance footage in one of the stolen vehicle cases, then worked with an Investigations Community Service Officer to build the case. A search warrant on the truck turned up a rental contract tied to Fischer, and video from a storage facility showed him arriving there in the stolen vehicle the day before the crash.

The case widened further when officers later found another stolen vehicle on June 1. Police said Fischer was spotted nearby and detained after he left on a bicycle. He was booked into the Lane County Jail on multiple counts, including unlawful use of a vehicle, possession of methamphetamine, failure to perform the duties of a driver to injured persons and third-degree assault.

Police also said Fischer had an extensive criminal history and had been out of prison only a short time. The city said both the Street Crimes Unit and the Investigations Community Service Officer position are funded through the Community Safety Payroll Tax.

Oregon law requires any driver involved in an injury crash to stop immediately and perform duties at the scene. Police said Fischer did not do that.