Senior Skip Day Doesn't Go as Planned for Bend Teen

Troopers also learned that the BMW was driving with two other vehicles, one of which apparently called the suspect on a cell phone to warn him OSP was trying to catch up to stop him.

Photo: Oregon State Police

(BEND, Ore. ) - An Oregon State Police trooper, with the help of local agencies participating in an interagency saturation patrol kicking off the holiday weekend, was able to find a high speed teenage driver who fled from an attempted traffic stop in the Bend area.

The driver was one of several area high school students taking part in Senior skip day, but now he will have to face a judge on reckless driving and speed-related citations.

At approximately 9:07 AM, OSP Senior Trooper Joey Pollard was patrolling on Highway 97 when he observed a white BMW northbound going through the Cooley intersection at 82 mph in a 35 mph speed zone.

After turning to overtake and stop the BMW, Senior Trooper Pollard temporarily lost sight until seeing a cloud of dust about a mile down the road at the entrance to Tired Iron Towing.

Upon arrival of the scene where the BMW was stopped partially off a gravel road, Senior Trooper Pollard spotted a male and female running.

Additional OSP troopers, deputies and city police officers arrived to help search the area.

After detaining the two people seen running, information indicated the driver and another passenger had also fled.

Officers searched an area where there were about 50 large pipes approximately 40 feet long where someone could hide.

A citizen told officers where the other two persons went, and upon checking they found them hiding in one of the large pipes.

Driver, 18-year-old Christian Bello, from Bend, was cited for Reckless Driving and Violation of the Basic Rule to wit: 82 mph in a 35 mph speed zone.

The passengers were not cited or charged.

Troopers also learned that the BMW was driving with two other vehicles, one of which apparently called the suspect on a cell phone to warn him OSP was trying to catch up to stop him. Those vehicles were not located.