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CRIME Medford man who often fled police gets prison time after crash Comment By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 26, 2015 at 3:46 PM Updated Oct 26, 2015 at 5:52 PM By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 26, 2015 at 3:46 PM Updated Oct 26, 2015 at 5:52 PM » Social News A Medford man with a long history of speeding away from police has been sentenced to five years in prison after he collided with another driver. Casey Nathaniel Brooks, 35, of the 600 block of South Holly Street, pleaded guilty Monday to third-degree assault, fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, recklessly endangering another person and resisting arrest. In addition to serving time in prison, Brooks must pay restitution of $27,546, according to a sentence imposed by Jackson County Circuit Judge Timothy Barnack. Three Jackson County Sheriff's Department deputies kept a close eye on Brooks during his court hearing to enter the guilty pleas, blocking three possible escape routes from the courtroom. Brooks appeared in court in a Jackson County Jail uniform, but without his hands shackled. Brooks has had five cases in which he eluded police dating back to 2001, but Oregon's sentencing guidelines meant he could be sentenced only to serve 10 days in jail for each of the felony-level eluding police charges, Jackson County Chief Deputy District Attorney Jeremy Markiewicz said. Because he caused a crash on Oct. 8, 2014, after he sped away from police, the DA's office was able to get a successful conviction on the third-degree assault charge, Markiewicz said. "Mr. Brooks has a history of eluding police," Markiewicz said. "His history showed extreme indifference to the value of human life and the danger he is to the community." On the night of the crash, a Medford police officer observed a Mitsubishi Eclipse sports car driving with its headlights off on Springbrook Road. The car was traveling approximately 45 mph in a 35 mph zone. The officer turned on his overhead lights to conduct a traffic stop. The Eclipse started to slow, but then the car's tires squealed and it sped away on North Keene Way Drive, according to the DA's office. The officer activated his siren, but terminated the pursuit due to safety concerns. The car was accelerating quickly in a residential area near North Medford High School, the DA's office said. Minutes later, the officer was driving toward the intersection of Crater Lake Avenue and Delta Waters Road and saw that the Eclipse had collided with a Subaru SUV. Witnesses say they saw the driver of the Eclipse running from the crash. Police set up a perimeter to prevent the suspect's escape. A citizen then reported someone hiding in a shed, and police found and arrested Brooks, who resisted arrest, the DA's office said. Meanwhile, the victim was treated at Providence Medford Medical Center but was not seriously injured, according to the DA's office and an affidavit by Medford police. A search warrant was later executed on the Eclipse and mail belonging to Brooks was found inside, the DA's office said. More recently, on Oct. 20 of this year, Medford police were following a car that had committed a traffic violation. Brooks, who was a passenger in the car, climbed out of the sunroof while the car was still moving, rolled off the hood and ran away. An officer was able to catch Brooks and pull him to the ground. Officers did a pat-down and found a grocery bag containing a large amount of methamphetamine, plus baggies typically used to store and/or sell drugs, the DA's office said. Brooks pleaded guilty Monday to a count of delivery of methamphetamine in that case. He was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison, with the time to be served simultaneously with the five-year sentence in the eluding police and assault case. Brooks has been held in jail without bail since his arrest on Oct. 20. A pending case charging Brooks with methamphetamine possession, criminal driving with a suspended driver's license and felon in possession of a restricted weapon — a switchblade — will be dismissed. In 2011, Brooks led Jackson County Sheriff's Department deputies on a high-speed chase through downtown Gold Hill in a Pontiac Grand Am. He was caught when he crashed near Sams Valley after a pursuit that also involved Eagle Point and Rogue River police. Brooks pleaded guilty to fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, reckless driving, three counts of recklessly endangering another person and possession of methamphetamine. He was sentenced to at least 13 months in prison, court records show. His criminal history includes numerous other cases, including several methamphetamine possession convictions. —Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-776-4486 or [email protected] . Follow her at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous . By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Oct. 26, 2015 at 3:46 PM Updated Oct 26, 2015 at 5:52 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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