State Police tow 7 cars on Thursday for driver violations; impounds mandatory under law
By Tom Peterson
The Dalles, Ore., June 26, 2026 — One Oregon State Police trooper stopped two vehicles on Highway 30 Thursday evening. By the time the traffic stop was over, both cars were headed to the tow yard.
It was one of seven vehicles impounded by Oregon State Police in Hood River and Wasco counties on June 25 under Senate Bill 780, according to the agency's daily media desk log.
The law gives troopers the authority to tow vehicles driven by people who are suspended, revoked or otherwise driving illegally, turning what once might have ended with a citation into an expensive tow, storage fees and a long walk home.
Oregon State Police impounded seven vehicles in six separate enforcement actions on Thursday.
While OSP leaders say the stops were not part of any sting, it does show the effectiveness of Senate Bill 780 in Oregon. Rather than issuing citations alone, the law allows officers to remove vehicles from the roadway when drivers are found to be suspended, revoked, unlicensed or, in many cases, operating without the insurance required by state law.
According to Oregon State Police logs, the June 25 enforcement began at 4:09 p.m. near Hood River and continued through 9:30 p.m. in Wasco County. In nearly every case, troopers reported finding drivers operating while suspended or revoked, with several also cited for driving uninsured.
One of the most notable incidents occurred at 7:42 p.m. on Highway 30 near Mosier. According to the OSP desk log, a trooper stopped two vehicles during the same traffic stop and discovered both drivers were driving while suspended. One of the vehicles was also uninsured. Both vehicles were impounded under Senate Bill 780 and towed by River's Edge Towing.
The passage of Senate Bill 780 in 2023 expanded the authority of law enforcement agencies to impound vehicles during certain traffic stops involving suspended, revoked or otherwise unlicensed drivers.
To reclaim an impounded vehicle, owners generally must provide proof that a licensed driver will remove the vehicle, demonstrate compliance with Oregon's financial responsibility laws, pay applicable administrative fees and satisfy towing and storage charges.
The law is in effect as many Oregon drivers face rising insurance costs. According to the Insurance Research Council, an estimated 14.7% of Oregon motorists were uninsured in 2023 — roughly one in every seven drivers. That was the most recent data available.
National insurance researchers have reported that higher premiums and economic pressures have contributed to an increase in uninsured motorists nationwide. However, Oregon State Police have not attributed the June 25 enforcement actions to rising insurance costs.
When an uninsured driver causes a crash, the costs rarely disappear—they are simply shifted. In Oregon, every auto policy includes uninsured motorist coverage, meaning an injured driver's own insurance company often pays for medical costs and other covered losses when the at-fault driver has no insurance. Those claims are ultimately reflected in insurance premiums paid by law-abiding motorists. According to the Insurance Research Council, insured drivers nationwide spend billions of dollars each year on uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, a cost the industry says is driven in part by motorists who choose to drive without insurance.
For drivers found in violation, the consequences can extend well beyond a traffic citation. In addition to fines for driving while suspended, revoked, or uninsured, vehicle owners may also be responsible for towing charges, daily storage fees, and administrative costs before their vehicle can be released. Depending on how long a vehicle remains in storage, those expenses can quickly climb into the hundreds or even thousands of dollars, outweighing the value of the vehicle.
According to the June 25 Oregon State Police media desk log, the seven impounded vehicles involved six drivers cited for driving while suspended or revoked and one driver operating without a valid driver's license.
Several were also cited for driving uninsured. Those identified in the OSP log were Tesla Lynne Dufault of Tigard; Robin Merritt Kuhlman of Pine Grove; Jennifer Lynn Tieskotter of Tygh Valley; Brian Jeffery Harris and Renee Elizabeth Sirois, both of The Dalles; and Andres Hernandez Chavez of The Dalles.
While the June 25 incidents represent a single day of enforcement, the OSP desk log illustrates how Senate Bill 780 is being applied across the Columbia Gorge. For motorists who choose to drive without a valid license or required insurance, a routine traffic stop can now result in the immediate loss of a vehicle, along with the financial burden of recovering it.
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