Accused ‘impaired and reckless’ driver plows into Fred Meyer Red Tag store

Whether he was angry, confused, or in an intoxicant-induced fog remains unclear. Look at these photos and you’ll see he clearly tried to turn the store into a ‘drive-in’ …

Why the driver smashed into the front of this Fred Meyer Red Tag Store on SE 82^nd Avenue remains unclear.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Fortunately for all, the Fred Meyer Red Tag Store at 5035 SE 82nd Avenue Portland – just to the north of the main SE Foster Road store – closes at 7:00 p.m., as it did on the evening of November 25.

“I don’t know if the guy was trying to turn around in the parking lot, or what,” said Andre Greene, who said he saw a car drive through the front plate glass windows of the store. “But, he had the car going good enough to jump a pretty high curb, and smash into the front doors of the store.”

After crashing into the Fred Meyer Red Tag Store, the damaged Chevy Metro sits next to the curb while officers assess the scene.

A Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division officer reviews the facts of the incident with a district officer after arriving at the scene.

When we tried to speak with the store’s manager, a security guard asked us to leave the store’s property. But, even from SE Mitchell Street – which separates the two stores – the damage done to the this Fred Meyer outlet was clear: The eight-foot high steel frames of the doors were knocked off their hinges, and safety glass peeled off like a giant, glassine ribbon.

Parked next to the curb was a white, 1998 Chevrolet Metro coupe – with front end damage.

A Portland Police Bureau (PPB) East Precinct officer confirmed there were no injuries, and that medical assistance wasn’t needed.

Police say it’s 37-year-old Dustin Kelly Abercrombie, there seated on the curb, who is trying to explain the circumstances of how he happened to drive into the Fred Meyer Red Tag store.

While we observed the scene, a PPB Traffic Division officer wheeled up on his motorcycle, and began assessing the driver with field sobriety tests.

Concerning this case, PPB Public Information Officer Sgt. Peter Simpson later reported, “37-year-old Dustin Kelly Abercrombie of Southeast Portland was arrested for DUII (Drugs & Alcohol) and Reckless Driving.”

According to MCDC records, Abercrombie was booked – and released on his own recognizance.

Comments are closed.