HUBBARD, Ore. (AP) — Oregon State Police have arrested a Washington state man in a crash that caused a natural gas leak and closed sections of two state highways south of Portland for three hours.
Senior Trooper Doug Brown says the Friday evening crash damaged Northwest Natural Gas equipment at the intersection of Oregon Highway 99E and Oregon Highway 551 north of Hubbard, Ore. Witnesses reported that a green pickup fled to a nearby berry field.
State Transportation Department crews closed sections of the highways until gas company personnel could stop the leak from a damaged valve. An adjacent rail line shut down for about 45 minutes. The highways reopened about 10 p.m.
Troopers arrested 31-year-old Faustino Santos Juarez of Mattawa, Wash., in the berry field for investigation of intoxicated driving, criminal mischief, reckless driving and failing to perform a driver’s duties.
