Posted
On Tuesday, November 21, 2023, at 12:33 a.m., the Washington County Sheriff's Office received multiple 911 calls about a white Mini Cooper driving in the wrong direction on Highway 26 westbound. Deputies and Hillsboro Police Officers quickly responded and located the vehicle after it exited Highway 26 at NW 185th Avenue. A traffic stop was initiated by a Hillsboro police officer north of Highway 26, and soon after, deputies arrived to take over the investigation.
The driver of the Mini Cooper, identified as 29-year-old Matthew Silveira, was contacted by a deputy. The deputy noticed signs of intoxication, such as a strong odor of alcohol and other indicators. Despite this, Silveira did not cooperate with the DUII investigation.
During the initial conversation with Silveira, a witness arrived at the scene and informed the deputy that Silveira's vehicle had nearly collided with them head-on while traveling in the wrong direction on Highway 26. The witness recounted driving westbound on Highway 26 near NW 185th Avenue when they first noticed Silveira's vehicle. They mentioned that the vehicle was driving without lights on. The witness said they had only seconds to react and swerve out of the way to avoid a collision. Although their vehicle swerved and spun out on the highway, they managed to avoid hitting any other vehicles or objects. The witness estimated that the Mini Cooper was traveling at approximately 90 mph at the time.
After speaking with the witness, the deputy arrested Silveira for driving under the influence of intoxicants, reckless driving, and recklessly endangering another person and transported him to the Washington County Jail. Silveira initially refused to take the breath test. Subsequently, the deputy obtained a search warrant, and Silveira was compelled to provide a breath sample, which showed a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .24%. Silveira's breath sample was collected by law enforcement over 2 hours after the initial traffic stop.
Once the deputy concluded their investigation, Silveira was lodged in the Washington County Jail.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office emphasizes the importance of reporting any instances of reckless driving witnessed on the roads by immediately dialing 911.