19-Year-Old Arrested in The Dalles after 16-mile pursuit that topped 100-Mph

The Dalles, Ore., Aug. 24, 2026 — A 19-year-old Vancouver, Washington, man was arrested Sunday night after allegedly attempting to elude police in a BMW at speeds exceeding 100 mph while repeatedly turning off the vehicle’s headlights before spike strips were deployed and officers took him into custody at gunpoint near The Dalles, according to police and jail records.

Avenir Ganchevskiy, 19, was booked into the Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Facilities shortly after midnight Monday on allegations of attempting to elude a police officer in a vehicle and reckless driving.

Oregon State Police Lt. Jason Calloway said the incident began with the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office pursuing a white BMW northbound on U.S. Highway 197 near Dufur. The driver was traveling at more than 100 mph and was “blacking out” the vehicle’s lights during the pursuit, Calloway said.

OSP troopers assisted the sheriff’s office but did not join the pursuit, Calloway said.

Instead, a trooper deployed a spike strip near the auction yard north of The Dalles. The spike strip successfully disabled the BMW, allowing law enforcement to bring the vehicle to a stop near Les Schwab on East Second Street.

Officers then conducted what Calloway described as a “high-risk stop,” ordering Ganchevskiy from the vehicle at gunpoint before taking him into custody.

“Driving 100 miles per hour and turning off the light system — that is reckless driving,” Calloway said.

An OSP desk log lists the incident at 11:22 p.m. Aug. 23 near milepost 16 on northbound U.S. Highway 197. According to the log, OSP troopers assisted the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office in the pursuit of a white 2011 BMW coupe.

“The BMW was safely stopped after a successful spike strip deployment and the driver was taken into custody for multiple crimes,” the OSP report states.

Wasco County booking records show Ganchevskiy was arrested by a sheriff’s deputy and booked at 12:34 a.m. Aug. 24. The booking report lists allegations of attempting to elude a police officer in a vehicle, a felony, and reckless driving, a misdemeanor.

The allegations are accusations, and Ganchevskiy is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.