Oregon Ducksfreshman wide receiver Messiah Hampton was arrested and booked in the Lane County Jail facing charges of reckless driving and eluding police, according to jail records and later confirmed by the Springfield Police Department. The Oregonian/Oregon Live first reported the story.
The charges stem from a high-speed chase on October 18 in Springfield, in the early morning hours after Oregon beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Autzen Stadium. During the incident, SPD officers pursued two vehicles, but later abandoned the pursuit for safety reasons.
One of the vehicles was abandoned and found near the area where Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart was later arrested and charged with a DUII. According to SPD, Stewart is not believed to be a suspect
in the case.
“Mr. Hampton has been identified as the driver of one of the vehicles,” Springfield Police Deputy Chief George Crolly told The Oregonian. “We are still working to identify the driver of the other vehicle.”
As of Friday night at 7:22 p.m. PT, Hampton was released from the Lane County Jail.
Another Oregon player, tight end Jamari Johnson, was cited for speeding on that same night, but according to Deputy Crolly, he is not believed to be a suspect in the case either.
Hampton was a late addition to the Big Ten Availability Report for Oregon on Friday night, listing him as out for Saturday's game against the Northwestern Wildcats. This is the second week in a row that Hampton has been listed as out for a game after popping up on the report on Friday night.
Ducks Wire has reached out to the University of Oregon for comment on the situation, but it has not yet responded. This story will be updated as we get more information.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: BREAKING: Oregon's Messiah Hampton arrested for eluding police
