Messiah Hampton, a freshman wide receiver for the Oregon Ducks, has been taken into custody and booked at the Lane County Jail on charges related to reckless driving and evading law enforcement, as indicated by jail records and subsequently confirmed by the Springfield Police Department. Initially reported by The Oregonian/Oregon Live, the details of the arrest have garnered attention.
The charges arose from a high-speed pursuit that occurred on October 18 in Springfield during the early hours following Oregon’s victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Autzen Stadium. During this event, officers from SPD initiated a chase involving two vehicles; however, they later discontinued the pursuit due to safety considerations.
One of the involved vehicles was left abandoned and located in the vicinity where Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart was subsequently apprehended and charged with a DUII. According to SPD, Stewart is not currently considered a suspect in this matter.
Springfield Police Deputy Chief George Crolly informed The Oregonian, “Mr. Hampton has been identified as the operator of one of the vehicles. We are still working on identifying the driver of the other vehicle.”
As of Friday evening at 7:22 p.m. PT, Hampton had been released from the Lane County Jail.
In relation to the same night’s events, another Oregon Ducks player, tight end Jamari Johnson, received a citation for speeding; however, Deputy Crolly stated that he is not viewed as a suspect in the ongoing case either.
Hampton was added to the Big Ten Availability Report for Oregon on Friday night, noting that he is out for the upcoming game against the Northwestern Wildcats. This marks the second consecutive week that Hampton has been deemed unavailable for a game after appearing on the report that same Friday night.
Ducks Wire has made an attempt to reach the University of Oregon for comments regarding this incident, but no response has been provided thus far. Updates will follow as more information becomes available.
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This article was initially published on Ducks Wire: BREAKING: Oregon’s Messiah Hampton arrested for eluding police
