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62 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, March 8, 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 Classified 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 March 8, 2005 High-speed chase continues disturbing trend By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune A teenager suspected of speeding and drunken driving was arrested near dawn Monday after he crashed his car on an east Medford road, injuring his teenage passenger, authorities said. The 5:18 a.m. accident along Springbrook Road near Cedar Links Drive is the latest in what Medford police Lt. Mike Moran called a "disturbing trend" for teen drivers drinking alcohol and speeding here. "It’s more than a little disturbing," Moran said Monday. "This is the third major issue involving underage drinking and very dangerous driving." Police said Samuel John Oxford, 18, of rural Central Point, was driving his 1995 Subaru Legacy sedan north on Springbrook Road when he failed to negotiate a tight S curve. The car went into the southbound lane, then crossed the road into an ditch when Oxford over-corrected while steering, Moran said. When the car hit the ditch, the airbags deployed, striking Oxford and impairing his vision, Moran said. Advertisement The car traveled back into the roadway, but it hit the ditch a second time and rolled at least once, Moran said. Officers found the car upside down in the middle of Springbrook Road. "The collision and the evidence indicated he had to be going at a high rate of speed," Moran said. Oxford, who gave police an address on the 4400 block of Kane Creek, was taken into custody on charges of second-degree assault, driving under the influence of intoxicants and reckless driving. He was lodged in the Jackson County Jail, where he was being held Monday night in lieu of $18,000 bail. Officers initially found only Oxford at the scene, but police noticed blood on the passenger airbag, Moran said. Officers then discovered a blood trail toward Delta Waters Road, he said. Also, officers found two opened bottles of Coors Light beer in the car, Moran said. Police later identified the passenger as a 16-year-old boy who lives on the 1700 block of East Gregory Road in rural Central Point. The injured teen apparently walked to the intersection of Delta Waters Road and Crater Lake Avenue where he called a friend for assistance, Moran said. Eventually, a family member took him to Providence Medford Medical Center for treatment for injuries on his hands, Moran said. Hospital workers notified police, and officers eventually identified the teen and cited him for being a minor in possession of alcohol by consumption, Moran said. The boy was treated for his injuries and released. "At 5:18 in the morning, you don’t get too many drunken drivers." Moran said. "It’s a little scary. A lot of people do their early morning runs, and there’s paper (delivery) kids out there at that time of day." In a Feb. 11 crash in downtown Medford, a drunken Ashland teen sped along Riverside at speeds of up to 100 mph before running a red light and crashing into another vehicle, killing both drivers and injuring two passengers. Two weeks later, two drivers engaged in a high-speed chase on Riverside Avenue at speeds in excess of 90 mph. A teenage driver was involved in that instance as well. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress Advertisement s