Just after 11:30am Thursday morning, Gold Beach Chevron owner, Everett Amos called the Curry County Sheriff’s Office to report that someone had just stolen one of his tow trucks and headed north out of Gold Beach. Sheriff’s Dispatch advised all available patrol units including Sheriff’s Deputies, Gold Beach Police and the Oregon State Police.
About a minute after being notified, a Sheriff’s Deputy saw the stolen truck going north on U.S. Highway 101 just north of the Rogue River Bridge at a high rate of speed. The Deputy turned on the vehicle and started pursuing it. The suspect driver of the tow truck got up to about ninety miles per hour driving in a reckless manner, driving in the opposite lanes running vehicles off the road. At that time, the Deputy backed off a safe distance just enough to keep the vehicle in sight hoping the suspect driver would slow down. The Deputy kept calling out locations and near the Ophir Rest Area about ten miles north of Gold Beach, the driver of the tow truck side swiped an RV trailer that was being pulled by a truck going in the opposite direction. A Gold Beach Police Officer who was responding discontinued the pursuit at that point and stopped to check on the vehicle that was hit. There were no injuries and the damage was minimal.
Other Deputies joined the pursuit as it continued north on U.S. Highway 101. A Port Orford Police Officer set up to deploy Stop Sticks just south of Humbug Canyon and was able to spike the right rear dully wheels of the stolen tow truck. The suspect driver continued and lost control of the tow truck in the sharp corners of Humbug Canyon, crashing into the guard rail and coming to rest blocking both lanes of the highway.
The driver of the vehicle, identified as forty year old Dalen Ragan of Tillamook Oregon got out and aggressively approached the Deputies. A Deputy deployed his Taser when Ragan would not stop or comply with orders. Ragan was taken into custody but did have some injuries from the crash. Cal Ore Life Flight Ambulance arrived and transported Ragan to Curry General Hospital. The Oregon State Police investigated the crash scene and the damaged tow truck was removed by Ev’s High Tech and Auto.
Deputies followed the ambulance to Curry General and Doctors there decided that Ragan needed to be transported to another hospital due to some pre- existing medical issues. Doctors made arrangements to transport Ragan to OHSU in Portland. Gold Beach PD issued Ragan a citation for UUMV. Deputies were asked to stay with Ragan until he was transported out.
Ragan had been arrested by OSP and Sheriff’s Deputies the day before after fleeing from the California Highway Patrol. Ragan was arrested after being found in the brush near House Rock Road north of Brookings for Reckless Driving. Ragan was transported then by ambulance to Curry General and admitted. Family members came down from Tillamook Oregon this morning and while making arrangements to get Ragan’s vehicle back that was towed the day before, Ragan walked out of the Hospital and stole the tow truck.
All information will be forwarded to the Curry County District Attorney. Additional charges will include UUMV, Reckless Driving, Reckless Endangering, Fail to Perform Duties of a Driver, Attempt to Elude and Resisting Arrest. Due to Ragan’s medical conditions and being transported to OHSU, he was not taken to the Curry County Jail and there is no booking photo.
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