Oregon Man Flees Police in Three-Wheeled Truck, Stopped by Construction Workers
Tyler Mullen was dead set on not cooperating with authorities. Luckily for police, he ran into construction workers who had other ideas.
A Newport, Oregon, police officer noticed a red pickup truck parked at a Fred Meyer store. The officer ran the plates and discovered the vehicle was linked to a nearby burglary. He told the driver to stay put. Mullen floored it instead, jumped a curb, and merged onto Highway 101. He then raced down the Oregon coast.
Driving what appeared to be a second-generation Dodge Ram, Mullen clipped another car. Police agencies set up spike strips and blew three of his tires. That still didn’t stop him.
One front tire shredded and came off the rim. That didn’t stop him either. Then the entire rim broke loose. Chase photos show sparks flying as Mullen drove on one front brake disc, skidding along like a ski.
A dramatic end to the chase
Mullen finally lost traction at the Highway 101 and Southeast 51st Street intersection. He could not push the truck any farther. This would have been a good time to surrender. Instead, Mullen ran.
That’s when bystanders stepped in. “He was ultimately restrained by construction workers at the scene,” Newport police said.
Even after officers arrested Mullen, he refused to identify himself. Police confirmed his identity only after fingerprinting him at jail. Authorities said Mullen is a 31-year-old with active warrants for his arrest.
The Newport Police Department said it “would like to thank the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln City Police Department and the Oregon State Police for their assistance during this incident.” Anyone with information can contact Officer Mangum at the Newport Police Department at 541-574-3348. You can see video of the chase embedded below:
