Oregon police trooper hurt in pursuit crash in 2021 now home

ST. HELENS, Ore. (AP) — A Oregon State Police trooper who was critically injured in a police incident last year on U.S. Route 30 near St. Helens is now recovering at home.

KATU-TV reported that Trooper John Jeffries was home on Friday after months of hospitalization and rehabilitation.

On Nov. 11, troopers responding to an assault report were pursuing a driver fleeing from Longview, Washington. Police said the driver rammed a state patrol car and struck Jeffries.

The suspect, John Thralls of Longview, Washington, was treated for injuries sustained during the crash and arrested. Thralls, 54, remained in Columbia County Jail Friday on $5 million bail, jail records show.

He faces assault and other charges in the case. It wasn’t immediately known if he has a lawyer to comment on the case.

State police said in January that Jeffries had been flown to a hospital that specializes in trauma and that his care was centered around physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral challenges and recovery.