July 26, 2019 9:30 a.m. 
A motorcyclist is in serious condition after crashing while allegedly trying to elude a Douglas County Sheriff’s deputy early Thursday morning.
Information from Oregon State Police said that just after 2:30 a.m. 40-year Jody Swope accelerated at a high rate of speed when the deputy tried to pull him over while he was on the on-ramp headed northbound towards Interstate Five at the Winston interchange.
The report said that as the motorcyclist merged onto the freeway, he failed to negotiate a curve and crossed over the 2 northbound lanes, crashing into the center median. The rider then went airborne landing in the southbound lanes. Deputies pulled the man from the road so he would not get hit by southbound traffic.
Swope was taken to Mercy Medical Center. The motorcycle was towed from the scene.
DCSO is handling the criminal side of the crash, according to the OSP report.