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37 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, April 13, 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 Ashland News 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 April 12, 2005 Grants Pass teen critically injured by vehicle after dispute By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune A Grants Pass man was arrested Sunday on an assault charge after he allegedly drove over the legs of another teenager during an argument about a former girlfriend, authorities said. The victim, a 17-year-old Grants Pass boy, was listed in critical condition in a Portland hospital with serious leg injuries he suffered in the 9:30 p.m. incident on the 200 block of Rogue River Avenue, according to the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety. Billy Swearingen, 19, who listed his address on the 1100 block of SW Central Avenue, Grants Pass, was taken into custody on a charge of first-degree assault. Swearingen was lodged Sunday in the Josephine County Jail. Swearingen was arraigned Monday on the first-degree assault charge in Josephine County Circuit Court, where he bail was set at $50,000 and he was returned to jail, a jail spokesman said. Advertisement Grants Pass police were originally called to the scene by the report of a motor vehicle accident involving a pedestrian, police said. They found the victim bleeding heavily from his legs. Grants Pass police Detective Jim Brissette said investigators learned that the victim and Swearingen had been arguing about a girl identified as a former girlfriend of one of the teens. The argument began as a verbal one that escalated to a point where police believe Swearingen intentionally backed his vehicle into the victim, causing the injuries, police said. The victim suffered a broken right femur, lower open fractures to his left leg and other abrasions, police said. He also lost a lot of blood, Brissette said. The victim was first taken to Three Rivers Community Hospital, but he was airlifted to the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland because of the severity of his leg injuries. Police on Monday encouraged anyone with information about the incident to call Brissette at 541-474-6370. 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 Distance Education Diamonds Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoo Fasa Advertisement s