Driver cited for speeding, reckless driving

An Aloha man was arrested and his father’s car impounded near Mills City on Sunday morning after a Marion County Sheriff’s deputy allegedly recorded him driving at 112 miles per hour on a curvy, two-lane stretch of Highway 22.

Senior Deputy Jeff Nicoloff arrested Jason Scott Butters, 30, of Aloha around 11:30 a.m. Sunday after spotting a westbound red 2007 Acura RDX rounding a bend near milepost 27.

The Acura was passing another westbound vehicle and barely maintaining control in its lane, Nicoloff reported. Based upon his experience, the deputy said he could see the car was moving at a high rate of speed, which he was able to verify with his radar unit as 112 mph.

Nicoloff stopped the vehicle and identified the driver as Butters. The driver told the deputy he wasn’t sure how fast he was going, but felt it was “safe” because he was passing other cars, said Don Thomson, spokesman for the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Other drivers apparently disagreed with the driver’s assessment, as several honked their horns, waved and gave the deputy a “thumbs up” as they drove by the stopped car.

Butters, who has prior speeding convictions on his driving record, was arrested on accusations of reckless driving, cited for excessive speed and booked into the Marion County Jail. The vehicle, which belonged to his father, was impounded at the scene, Thomson said.

Nicoloff is part of an eight-deputy Traffic Safety Team that focuses on reducing injuries and deaths caused by motor vehicle crashes in Marion County.