Portland's streets witnessed a high-speed chase in January that ended with 42-year-old Ryan Van Horn being sentenced to a two-year prison term for driving a stolen vehicle and dangerously evading police. Van Horn had been released from incarceration just a week before he decided to take another ill-fated turn behind the wheel of someone else's car. On Thursday, after a guilty plea was entered, the judge passed down Van Horn's sentence, which also includes three years of post-prison supervision, as KGW reported.
The ordeal put the community at significant risk, with Deputy District Attorney Cody Linderholm noting that Van Horn engaged "in different dangerous driving behaviors that were really a threat to the community," driving into oncoming lanes, and once nearly mowing down a pedestrian in a parking lot, while exceeding speed limits up to 90 miles an hour. The high-speed escapade continued even after police deployed spike strips in an attempt to halt the stolen vehicle, according to KOIN.
Van Horn's dangerous antics ended successfully with his capture, but the repercussions of his joyride extend beyond public safety concerns and into personal loss. The owner of the stolen car, referred to as Blando, expressed the emotional distress caused by the theft of her nearly paid-off Kia. "Just because a crime isn’t violent doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt somebody," Blando conveyed the personal impact this crime had on her, as she spoke to KPTV. Now, having replaced her vehicle, Blando takes extra precautions to avoid a similar ordeal, reinforcing her new Kia's security against potential threats.
