Two Men Arrested For DUII, Two Police Cars Damaged

PORTLAND, OR — Washington County deputies on Sunday arrested two drunk drivers — and lost two police cruisers — at the same time, officials said.

Portland residents Yash Desai, 23, and Earl Smith, 61, were both lodged at the Washington County Jail on charges of driving while under the influence of intoxicants, police said, noting that both men tested at twice the legal limit for allowable blood alcohol content. Smith was additionally charged with criminal mischief, reckless driving, and four counts of reckless endangering. Both men have since been released.

Around 2:45 a.m. June 11, deputies in two separate police cars first pulled over Desai as he headed westbound on Highway 26, near the exit to Southwest Camelot Court, police said. While conducting a field sobriety test with Desai, deputies narrowly missed a chain reaction of crashes after Smith rear-ended the furthest back police vehicle.

All four cars were towed from the scene, police said, and both men blew a 0.19 percent blood alcohol content in breathalyzer tests. The legal limit is 0.08 percent.

No one was injured in the crash.

From the Washington County Sheriff's Office:

DUII enforcement is a priority for the sheriff's office. Our deputies arrest an average of 1,000 impaired drivers each year.

DUII is a 100 percent preventable crime. The Washington County Sheriff's Office encourages the public to designate a driver when they consume substances that could impair their ability to drive.

Other alternative forms of transportation, such as taxis or app-based Uber or Lyft, are readily available in the metro area.

Photos Courtesy: Washington County Sheriff's Office, mugshot mashup Emma Jehle for Patch News