It was quite a sight to see Oregon State Police (OSP) cars chasing an erratic driven ambulance down Interstate 5 on Friday, April 29, 2022 at approximately 7:31 PM. OSP troopers and emergency personnel responded to a single vehicle crash on Interstate 5 near milepost 273 in Marion County.

OSP reports that upon arriving at the crash scene, the operator of the crashed vehicle, identified as Noor Mohammad Baheej (30) of Winnetka, California, attempted to flee.

The driver returned and stole the Woodburn ambulance that was on scene. Baheej drove north on Interstate 5 into Portland where he continued to elude police. OSP attempted to pin the ambulance but Baheej rammed a patrol vehicle, struck a building and was able to continue to elude troopers.

The ambulance was again located on Interstate 5 southbound near milepost 295. The driver stopped the ambulance and attempted entry into another vehicle on the highway. OSP troopers were then able to take Baheej into custody without further incident.

Baheej displayed multiple signs of impairment and after investigation was charged with DUII-Alcohol (BAC .21), UUMV, Attempt to Elude, Reckless Driving and Failure to Perform Duties of Driver.

Federal data shows Oregon has the worst drug addiction rate in the country and last for access to treatment.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

The latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health said about 12% of Oregonians aged 12 and older said they had an alcohol problem, up from 7% in 2019.

Combined, they gave Oregon the second worst overall addiction rate nationwide, with nearly one in five teens and adults reporting a problem with drugs or alcohol.

Could it be that Oregon’s treatment problem starts with an easy access problem?


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2022-04-30 16:01:42

Last Update: 2022-04-30 16:07:43