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56 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, February 16, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classifieds Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend February 15, 2005 Margaret Lynch of Eagle Point spends a moment Monday at the site of a two-car collision that killed her brother-in-law, Charles Ashley Bench. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Witnesses back chase claim By SARAH LEMON and JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Police chased a 17-year-old driver through the streets of downtown Medford at high speeds before Friday’s fatal car crash that killed the boy and another man, the boy’s father and several eye-witnesses said Monday. James Stephens, 57, of Ashland met with police Monday and said he believed officers chased his son, Kevan Thatcher-Stephens, as he drove his white Jeep Cherokee into Medford. "We pretty much have that confirmed," said Stephens. "It truly was in pursuit of the kids." Police investigating the crash said they have not yet determined how close officers were at the time of the collision. Thatcher-Stephens died late Friday at Providence Medford Medical Center after the Cherokee collided with a Chevrolet Blazer at the intersection of Jackson Street and Riverside Avenue. The Blazer’s driver, Charles Ashley Bench, 26, of Shady Cove died at the scene. Advertisement Bench’s passenger, Mark Louis Robustelli, 27, of Medford remained in intensive care at Providence, nursing staff said. Ian Graham-Collier, 16, of Ashland, a passenger in the Cherokee, was released from Providence Monday afternoon. Brothers David and Richard Stepp of Medford said they videotaped part of the crash and preceding chase. Richard Stepp said he hopped into the back of a flat-bed pickup truck at Ninth Street and tried to follow the speeding patrol cars, but the pickup’s driver wasn’t willing to go fast enough to keep up. "What we have on (the tape) possibly puts an officer in risk of losing his badge," said David Stepp, 21. Numerous teens cruising downtown saw a Talent police car and a Jackson County Sheriff’s Department cruiser accelerating toward the Jeep at Ninth Street, the Stepps said. Preliminary accounts that the two officers backed off the pursuit appear untrue, they added. Oregon State Police seized the Stepps’ videocamera at the crash scene. Another eyewitness, however, said Monday officers did not appear to be on the Cherokee’s tail. Andrew Mariman, a photographer who free-lances for the Mail Tribune, was driving on Riverside Avenue when the Cherokee sped by him at Sixth Street. He said he did not see police lights or hear sirens, but he did not look behind him. He was a block and a half away when the crash occurred. "I would say they (police) were two or three blocks behind, because I got there before they did, and I was going the speed limit," he said. Talent officer Jeff Price first caught sight of the Cherokee as he was headed back to Talent from the Dairy Queen on Barnett Road, said Talent Police Chief Bob Rector. Price unsuccessfully tried to stop the Cherokee near Barnett on Riverside, Rector said. Sheriff’s Capt. Joe Puckett followed Price to provide cover, said Sheriff Mike Winters. Medford police said they had not determined whether Price and Puckett were actively pursuing Thatcher-Stephens. However, the pursuit agreement among local police allows officers who initiate a pursuit to maintain the chase even outside their jurisdiction. The teens had passed a Phoenix police officer stopped on South Pacific Highway and honked and yelled at the officer, said Medford police Lt. Mike Moran. The Cherokee sped into Medford, traveling about 90-100 mph, investigators said. Thatcher-Stephens’ driver’s license was suspended in January after the boy received three tickets for speeding, careless driving and driving without a license, records from the state Driver and Motor Vehicle Services department show. The family moved to Oregon from Southern California about a year ago, James Stephens said. Thatcher-Stephens received an Oregon license in September, records indicate. His license was suspended under the state’s teen driver improvement program, but he was issued a hardship permit Feb. 3 that allowed him to drive to work and back, said DMV spokesman David House. Under terms of the permit, Thatcher-Stephens was prohibited from driving anywhere but a prescribed route to work and he was not allowed to have passengers in the car, House said. Stephens declined to discuss where his son and Graham-Collier were before the accident and whether he believed the boys had used alcohol or drugs. "No one knows the facts. We’re waiting for the investigation," he said. "You’re the speculators." District Attorney Mark Huddleston refused to release new details on the crash, adding that it’s being treated like any other major occurrence involving local police. While Medford Police Department is heading the investigation, detectives from the county’s other large police agencies are assisting. "It seems clear that the officers were engaged in a situation where they were going in excess of the posted speed limit," Huddleston said. The district attorney said he has not decided if the officers could be criminally liable. The case could be referred to another county’s district attorney’s office or presented to a local grand jury, Huddleston said. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Bench memorial Saturday A memorial gathering is planned Saturday for Charles Ashley Bench, a Shady Cove man killed Friday when his vehicle was struck during a high-speed crash in downtown Medford. Bench, 26, a load broker for Bowers Trucking, was a married father of three. Family and friends will gather at 1 p.m. at Siskiyou Memorial Park, 2100 Siskiyou Blvd., Medford. A fund for Bench’s family has been started by staff members of the Jackson County Department of Roads, Parks and Planning. Bench’s widow, Melissa Bench, works as a secretary in the parks office. Contributions to the "Charles Bench Memorial Fund" may be made at any Rogue Federal branch or mailed to P.O. Box 4550, Medford, OR 97501. Perl Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. 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