Driver fleeing police in a stolen SUV slams into a second stolen car, Oregon cops say

Officers pursuing a stolen SUV on Sunday morning ended up solving two vehicle theft cases in one when the driver crashed into a stolen Buick Regal, Oregon police say in a release.

The two thefts were unrelated, the Newberg-Dundee Police Department wrote on Facebook.

Randy Lee Cooper, 27, of Portland, had tried to escape officers in a stolen Toyota Land Cruiser just moments after it was reported stolen, police wrote.

During a chase through downtown Newberg, Cooper slammed into a Buick Regal driven by Kristin Nicole Begue, 25, of Newberg, according to police.

But officers investigating the crash discovered the Buick Regal also had been stolen in a separate theft about three weeks earlier, the Facebook post says.

Cooper was arrested on suspicion of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, attempting to elude police, assault, reckless driving and other charges, police say.

Begue was arrested on suspicion of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and driving under the influence of intoxicants, according to police.

Newberg, which has a population of about 24,000, lies along the Willamette River southwest of Portland.

This story was originally published July 7, 2020 at 7:52 AM with the headline "Driver fleeing police in a stolen SUV slams into a second stolen car, Oregon cops say."