FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Independence, Oregon (June 13, 2022) — On Saturday, June 11, 2022, at approximately 8:00 AM, the Independence Police Department responded to a hit-and-run vehicle crash at the intersection of 4th and G Street. Prior to the Independence hit-and-run crash involving another vehicle and a stop sign, the suspect vehicle was reported stolen from rural Polk County. After the Independence crash, the suspect abandoned the stolen vehicle and fled on foot into a nearby neighborhood. A Salem Police Department K-9 unit was requested and deployed to track the suspect, as well as assist in their apprehension. The suspect was identified as 28-year-old Jeffery Rodgers of Dallas, Oregon. Rodgers was booked into the Polk County Jail on charges of Unlawful Entry into a Motor Vehicle, Theft III, Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, and Failure to Perform Duties of a Driver (injury and property).
The hit-and-run victim was transported to a local hospital by ambulance and later released.
There had been false reports on social media that the stolen vehicle was an Independence Public Works utility vehicle. To clarify, it was not.
The Independence Police Department was assisted in this apprehension by the Salem Police Department, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, and Oregon State Police.
For additional information, please contact Chief Mason at 503.838.1214.
# # #
