On 8/26/20 at approximately 9:12 pm State Police Trooper Wertz was dispatched to a single vehicle crash which occurred on US 101 south. A complainant reported she witnessed a light colored truck with a canopy crash into the guard rail near the entrance to Cape Perpetua Campground. When law enforcement arrived the suspect vehicle was gone and the guard rail was badly damaged. Trooper Wertz conducted a search of the area and located a tan Toyota Tacoma matching the complainant’s description parked on a nearby forest road.
Upon contact the male driver, identified as 39-year old Nathan D. Ridens exhibited numerous signs of impairment and smelled strongly of alcohol and marijuana. The driver consented to and performed poorly on Safety Field Sobriety Test's. A handgun was located in the truck and seized for safe keeping. Ridens was taken into custody and transported to Lincoln County Jail where he consented to a breath test rendering a result of .25% blood alcohol content. He also consented to provide a urine sample to be tested for presence of controlled substances. Mr. Ridens was cited and released on charges of DUII - Alcohol and Cannabis, Reckless Driving, Criminal Mischief II and Fail to Perform the Duties of a Driver.