Troopers snag two for DUII over the weekend

At milepost 44 eastbound at 8:58 p.m. Oct. 30, Trooper Jonathon Swiger reported that a citizen flagged down another trooper to report a possible DUII driver heading eastbound from Cascade Locks. The citizen provided the license plate and a video of the driver failing to maintain a single lane.

“I set up for the vehicle at milepost 69 in Wasco County. I observed the vehicle fail to maintain a single lane after it passed me. I attempted to stop the vehicle at milepost 71,” Swiger reported. The driver, Jillian F. Groberg of Farr West, Utah, continued for almost two miles before pulling over.

Upon consenting to standard field sobriety tests, Groberg, 54, “struggled to follow my directions,” Swiger said, adding that he observed seven out of eight clues on the “Walk and Turn test.” The driver did not want to perform the one-leg stand, the trooper stated, Groberg was arrested for DUII and Reckless Driving. Swiger stated that a search of the vehicle turned up a fourth container in the center cup holder, half full of wine while the other three were empty. The driver’s dog was lodged at Home at Last. The driver was transported to NORCOR where she provided a breath sample of 0.18. (Under Oregon law, a .08 is the legal minimum BAC.) The driver was lodged for DUII and Reckless Driving.

On Nov. 1, at 1:40 p.m., Trooper Mark Jubitz responded to a driving complaint on Interstate 84 milepost 85, near The Dalles. A Chevy van was reported weaving in and out of the westbound right lane.

Jubitz located the vehicle nearing exit 85 and driver Matthew David Minugh of Gresham came to a stop. “I told the driver that I could smell an odor of an alcoholIc beverage coming from the vehicle and could see several cans of Coors beer, two were open and empty, two were open and partially full and one was full and closed. I told him I could see his blood shot watery eyes and hear his thick speech.” Jubitz asked Minugh if he would submit to field sobriety tests, and Minugh, 33, twice refused, according to Jubitz.

“I told him to stay in the vehicle and returned to my vehicle. He exited his vehicle and I returned to him and told him to stay in his vehicle and requested a cover officer,” Jubitz said, adding that Minugh “refused to follow commands” and was arrested and lodged at NORCOR on DUII charges.