Impaired Drivers Lead Police in High-Speed Chase Before Crashing

Date:  February 19, 2012
Location:  Intersection of Marion and Church Streets, Salem
Names:  Jason Milton Dalebout, Jason Paul Schrepfer, Richard A. Bello, Joann E. Drapeu, Terrill L. Williams

A 15-minute high-speed chase ended with five people being sent to the hospital Sunday morning, when the driver fleeing police officers ran a stoplight in downtown Salem and caused a crash involving three vehicles. Two men have been arrested and face multiple charges.

Just before 8:50 a.m. Sunday, an OSP trooper spotted a 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe SUV speeding northbound on Interstate 5, near milepost 242. When the trooper attempted to stop the SUV, it raced away at speeds up to 100 mph. The two occupants were also seen throwing drug paraphernalia from the vehicle. The Tahoe left I-5 and entered Salem, pursued by the OSP, Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies and the Salem Police Department. The SUV then went through a stop light at the intersection of Marion Street and Church Street and was hit on the passenger side by a 2003 Chevrolet Suburban being driven by Richard Bello, 42, from Salem. The impact caused the Tahoe to spin and crash into a 2008 Toyota Corolla being driven by Joann Drapeu, 69, also from Salem.

After the crash, the driver of the Tahoe SUV, who has been identified as Jason Dalebout, 37, and his passenger, Jason Schrepfer, both from Albany, were taken to Salem Hospital for treatment of injuries described in The Oregonian as minor. Both men were arrested a short time later, and Dalebout now faces nine different charges, including felony parole violation. Charges for Schrepfer are pending.

Bello and Drapeau, along with a passenger in the Corolla named as Terrill Williams, 65, from Salem, were all taken by ambulance to Salem Hospital with injuries that are serious but non-life threatening, according to an OSP statement.

We would like to send our best wishes to Richard Bello, Joann Drapeu and Terrill Williams, in the hopes that they are soon out of the hospital and feeling better.

Many questions arise out of a car crash. And unfortunately, our minds don’t often focus on recovering; they usually go directly to the financial – medical bills, insurance policies, lost wages. How will Bello, Drapeu, Williams and their families get through it? Who will pay for their medical bills and damaged vehicles? Fortunately, victims have resources. And the first thing they should do after getting the medical help they need is to go to our website – not to give us their business, but to read our free tips, download helpful documents, or request a free copy of our book. And if that’s not enough, they can always contact us to ask us any questions.