Idiot of the Week: Man Drives into Frigid River to Avoid Police

Timofey Erofeeff,

This week's idiot isn't political, just a moron who drove into a frigid river in Oregon to elude police. What in the world was he thinking?   (And what's with the spelling of his name?) Below is the story, pictures and video of the truck actually driving off the pier!

ASTORIA, Ore. -- A suspected boat prowler fleeing from police drove his pickup off an Oregon pier and into the Columbia River. CBS News affiliate KOIN-TV reports 27-year-old Timofey Erofeeff, of Scotts Mill drove into the frigid river.

    Officers arrived at North Tongue Point on the morning of Dec. 27, 2017  after getting reports that a man, identified as 27-year-old Timofey Erofeeff of Scotts Mills, was trespassing on boats.

Caught on video driving the truck off a pier

When they approached Erofeeff to take him into custody for a Deschutes County parole violation, he sped off down a dock in his truck and drove it into the Columbia River. The sequence was caught on camera.

   Astoria police said Erofeeff managed to escape the sinking truck and swim a couple hundred feet away from the pier but then returned to be rescued.

    Because of the elevated pier, officers threw Erofeeff a life vest and flotation disc until he was plucked out of the waters.

    Erofeeff was taken to a local hospital for treatment of hypothermia before being booked into the Clatsop County Jail on charges including criminal trespass, parole violation and reckless driving.

    As of Wednesday night, the truck was still in the water with a visible fuel sheen coming from it. The temperature was around 40 degrees that day. Police said they were working with the Coast Guard to form a plan to fish the truck out of the water.

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