A 27-year-old man sped off of a pier in his pickup truck in Astoria Wednesday morning -- a dramatic scene captured on video by a local man who was working along the Columbia River at the time.
The man, Timothy Erofeeff, 27, of Scotts Mills, was treated for hypothermia after the incident.
Erofeeff is suspected of trespassing on boats at North Tongue Point early Wednesday. He apparently left the area and returned about 10 a.m. when police attempted to arrest him on accusations of criminal trespassing.
Timofey Erofeeff. (Clatsop County Sheriff's Office via AP)
He took off when they approached, prompting a short police pursuit that stopped short of Pier 2 of North Tongue Point. Erofeeff sped onto the pier and drove into the water.
Police said Erofeeff was able to get out of his vehicle. He swam away from police but eventually came back. Eventually, employees from a nearby marine company reached him by skiff and pulled him out, police said.
“He just took off straight toward the pier,” said J.D. Moreland, 50, of Astoria, who had a brief conversation with the man before police arrived.
Moreland said he pulled out his phone and shot video as the man sped up. “He just started driving on that pier as fast as he could.”
Moreland said he was impressive by how quickly police and others came to the man’s aid.
“They talked to him and told him not to panic and called him back in,” he said.
Erofeeff was booked into the Clatsop County Jail on accusations of criminal trespass, violating his parole, attempting to elude police, reckless driving and escape.
His pickup, meanwhile, remains under water.
-- Noelle Crombie
ncrombie@oregonian.com
503-276-7184
@noellecrombie