Man Arrested After Driving Through Barricades At Grand Floral Parade

Portland, OR – A man was arrested after driving on the closed streets of the Grand Floral Parade route on Saturday. At approximately 10:04 a.m., a motorcycle officer from the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Traffic Division was alerted to a pickup truck unlawfully driving within the parade area.

Eyewitnesses reported that parade attendees were fleeing the street, screaming to grab the officer’s attention. Subsequently, the officer spotted the truck traveling east on Northeast Weidler Street and made attempts to halt the vehicle.

Despite the officer’s use of lights and sirens, the driver of the truck ignored the commands and proceeded south on Northeast MLK Jr. Blvd. The officer positioned himself alongside the truck, instructing the driver to pull over, but the driver still refused to comply. Concerned for his safety, the officer moved ahead of the truck to warn pedestrians, narrowly avoiding a collision as the driver veered towards him.

Undeterred, the officer again tried to intercept the truck, aiming to halt or decelerate its progress. However, the driver abruptly turned left onto Northeast Wasco Street, directly endangering families seated on the curb awaiting the parade. Numerous individuals were at risk of being struck by the oncoming vehicle as it left NE MLK Jr. Blvd.

Despite efforts to evade capture, the truck bypassed a barricade, forcing volunteers to rapidly retreat to avoid being hit. While no longer on the parade route, the vehicle managed to elude pursuing officers. The PPB Air Support Unit took over surveillance of the truck, providing updates to ground units. Eventually, the truck came to a stop near the intersection of Northeast 24th Avenue and Northeast Clackamas Street, where law enforcement took the driver into custody.

Investigations revealed that the driver had accessed Northeast Weidler Street by maneuvering around two Oregon Department of Transportation trucks tasked with closing the ramp from Northbound I5. To circumvent the trucks, the driver had to navigate through the ivy-covered hillside adjacent to the ramp.

The apprehended driver was identified as 42-year-old Sidney Sean Mecham of Portland. Mecham was subsequently booked at the Multnomah County Detention Center on multiple charges, including Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Disorderly Conduct, Attempt to Elude, Reckless Driving, and Hit and Run (unrelated to this incident). Additionally, Mecham received citations for Driving While Suspended, Failure to Obey a Police Officer, and driving without insurance. Authorities towed Mecham’s vehicle due to the absence of insurance.

Law enforcement officials are currently attempting to locate individuals who were directly endangered by the suspect’s actions. Individuals with relevant information about the incident, who have not yet spoken to the police, are urged to contact Officer David Baer via email at [email protected]. Please reference case number 23-152688 in any correspondence.