On Tuesday April 5th, 2016 the Lincoln City Police Department received information from a citizen in regards to the identity of the driver involved in the Hit and Run crash that occurred in the early morning hours of April 3rd.
On Wednesday April 6th, the owner of the vehicle was interviewed and he provided the name of the person who was driving his vehicle when it crashed. Whitney E. Bickel , a 28-year-old Lincoln City resident, was arrested by the Lincoln City Police and lodged at the Lincoln County Jail on charges of:
Hit and Run vehicle-Property
Criminal Mischief II
Tampering with Evidence.
Bickel’s bail was set at $45000.
The vehicle involved, a red 1996 Ford Explorer, has been located and is no longer of interest. Bickel and the owner of the vehicle secreted the vehicle after the crash and had actually sold the vehicle, in an attempt to distance themselves from the vehicle. This crash is still under investigation and additional charges/arrests are expected.
On 04/03/16 at approximately 02:30 AM, a 2000 Volkswagen Jetta was parked and unoccupied along the South 3200 block of SW Anchor Ave. The driver of a maroon or burgundy colored Ford Explorer was traveling North on SW Anchor Ave. The Ford Explorer left the roadway and struck the Volkswagen along the shoulder of the roadway. The Volkswagen was heavily damaged and propelled approximately 50’ down the roadway into a rope fence. The driver of the Ford Explorer fled the scene at a high rate of speed prior to police arrival in the area.
