Bicyclist: I got on moving car's hood to save my life
09:42 AM PDT on Wednesday, July 16, 2008
PORTLAND - The bicyclist who was chased by an alleged drunk driver during a case of road rage in southeast Portland said he jumped on the car's hood to avoid getting run over.
"There was no life flashing before my eyes, just me going, 'Wow, this dude is crazy,' and I'm hanging onto this thing, he's going fast and yelling, 'Get off my car, get off my car, you asshole, I'm going to kick your ass,' " Jason Rehnberg said.
He believes his quick decision saved his life. And he's not the only one who thinks so.
One witness who saw the driver speed away with Rehnberg on the hood said she thought the cyclist was going to die.
The southeast Portland neighbor, who wishes to remain anonymous, said she watched as Rehnberg hung on for dear life.
"I was afraid he [the cyclist] was going to get killed. I thought he [the driver] was going to knock him off and run over him," she said.
The road rage incident between Rehnberg and driver James Millican ended with the cyclist on the hood of the car and a witness got it on video, according to investigators. The video, taken on a cell phone, was seized as evidence in the criminal case.
Another witness, Dewey Caron, said he also saw the whole thing.
"He [the driver] really went fast all the way to the corner and then slammed on the brakes at the corner really trying to push this guy off...I was scared. I was scared for the fellow," Caron said.
"It almost looks staged to me, but it appears to be legitimate," said Sgt. Brian Schmautz with the Portland Police Bureau.
It all started Sunday near the intersection of SE 58th Avenue and SE Washington Street in Portland, when Rehnberg, 37, yelled profanities at Millican, 21, and told him to slow down.
Schmautz said at that point, Millican stopped his car and began to chase the victim. Rehnberg initially escaped, but a short time later, Millican spotted the cyclist behind his car.
“The victim stated that the suspect then backed up in an attempt to hit him with the car. The victim jumped off the bike just before the suspect hit the bike, damaging it,” Schmautz said.
Two witnesses told investigators that they stood in front of Millican’s car, along with Rehnberg, and tried to get his license number.
“As they did so, the suspect drove his car toward the three people. The two witnesses were able to get out of the way, but Rehnberg ended up on the hood of the suspect's car,” Schmautz said. He believes that Rehnberg climbed onto the hood to avoid getting run over.
Millican then allegedly sped off with Rehnberg on his hood, clutching his windshield wipers to keep from sliding off.
“With the victim hanging on to the suspect's windshield wipers, the suspect drove northbound on 58th at a high rate of speed. When the suspect reached Southeast 60th Avenue, he slowed down enough for the victim to get off the car,” Schmautz explained.
One witness got video of the cyclist on the hood of the car and gave it to investigators.
"I've never seen anything like this," Schmautz said. "We do have a lot of tension between bikes and cars trying to share the roads, but to have a bicyclist end up on the hood like this is very unusual."
Millican was eventually arrested on several charges including attempted Measure 11 assault, DUII, kidnapping, criminal mischief and reckless driving.
The case will go to a grand jury next week.
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