On Wednesday, March 5, 2025 at 9:36 p.m., a Multnomah County Sheriff’s Deputy driving a fully marked patrol Chevrolet Tahoe SUV conducted a traffic stop on a driver on eastbound I-84 at Northeast Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard. The vehicle pulled over on the shoulder of the freeway. Due to the narrow shoulder and proximity to the lanes of travel, the deputy had not gotten out of his vehicle and was using his vehicle’s public address (PA) system to instruct the driver to pull forward to the freeway exit. Just seconds later, a driver of a 2018 Jeep Compass SUV approaching the stop struck the Deputy’s vehicle from behind with him still in it. The impact sent the Jeep spinning back out into the freeway.
PPB officers from Central Precinct, North Precinct, and the Traffic Division responded alongside MCSO and Emergency Medical Services. The deputy and the driver of the Jeep were both transported to the hospital. Neither suffered serious injuries.
Interstate 84 eastbound was shut down due to vehicles and debris strewn across the lanes of travel. The Oregon Department of Transportation sent out an alert to the public about the closure.
The PPB Traffic Division investigated the crash and developed information that alcohol impairment on the part of the Jeep driver was a factor. Following an investigation, and after the driver was treated and released from the hospital, officers booked Jose Juan Alvarez, 49, of Beaverton, Oregon, into the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (alcohol). He was also served with traffic violation citations for Failure to Maintain Lane, Careless Driving Contributing to an Accident, and Failure to Install an Ignition Interlock Device.
The freeway was reopened to traffic at 11:30 p.m.
It’s an all-to-common occurrence that drivers strike law enforcement officers’ vehicles. Here’s a video of a recent incident involving PPB officers on I-5.
PPB and its partners encourage motorists to drive safely and drive sober. Each year, law enforcement personnel respond to preventable collisions that can deeply impact those involved, their families, and loved ones. All road users are encouraged to avoid actions that might lead to a collision, including impairment, speed, distraction, and disobeying signals.
Drink responsibly and remember buzzed driving is drunk driving. PPB would like to remind the public that drug-impaired driving is just as dangerous (and illegal) as alcohol-impaired driving.
Here’s a short video on why safety on our roadways is the responsibility of every user, and why PPB is passionate about promoting safe driving.
Drive sober and move over. It’s the law! Oregon passed its first Move Over law ORS 811.147 in 2010 requiring drivers to move over a lane or slow down five miles below the speed limit for an emergency vehicle, a roadside assistance vehicle, a tow vehicle, or ambulance, when it is displaying warning lights. In 2017, it was changed to include any vehicle stopped displaying hazard lights.
For more on the Traffic Division, click here.
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