Latest news with #Burell
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Yahoo
‘Reckless' blue truck driver tied to infamous Instagram account appears in court
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The man accused of driving recklessly on Portland's roads while posting videos of it on Instagram appeared in court on Tuesday. Police , last week on SE Hawthorne Boulevard after he called 911 to report that another driver had stolen the keys to his bright blue 1994 GMC Sierra pickup truck. Vancouver woman accused of stabbing parents over 'Resurrection Day' comment When officers arrived, they recognized Burell's vehicle as the one in the videos of unlawful driving acts on social media. The Instagram account features dozens of videos of Burell filming himself in the same truck. The content ranges from driving on the shoulder of the I-5 to near the tennis courts of Peninsula Park. In court, Burell was ordered to not drive for six months and to wear an ankle monitor. He was also told by a judge to stay away from local parks. Burell is scheduled to be back in court on May 30. So far, the driver who stole Burell's keys has not been found. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Yahoo
Here's how the ‘Instagram blue pickup' driver was nabbed
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — For 90 years, has been a city staple along a very busy stretch of Southeast Hawthorne in Portland. On Friday, owner Nick Brown saw an incident unfold on this 'vibrant street' near SE 37th that helped solve an ongoing police investigation. Shortly before noon, the driver of a bright blue 1994 GMC Sierra pickup truck, Oscar Burell Jr., called police to report he'd been in a hit-and-run. Brown told KOIN 6 News Burell stopped his truck in the middle of the road. 'There was another person behind him that was getting angry,' he said. Burell 'decided he was going to go sell some clothes (at a store in that stretch) and walked out of his truck and the guy behind him was honking his horn, getting a little agitated.' 'Reckless' blue pickup driver linked to infamous Instagram account arrested, identified Burell walked back to his truck, grabbed some more clothes and walked back toward the store, Brown said. That's when the blocked driver 'decided to have a (yelling) confrontation with him' and then 'decided to grab his keys out of the truck and drive off with them.' That's when Burell called police. When the cops arrived a while later, the officer recognized Burell's name and called for backup to help arrest him. Burell, 33, is the man accused of driving recklessly throughout Portland for weeks — but not before amassing an Instagram following with hundreds of videos documenting his antics. The content ranges from driving on the shoulder of the I-5 to doing donuts on the grass near the tennis courts of Peninsula Park. He was arrested for three counts of reckless driving, criminal mischief, and recklessly endangering another person. Burell is expected to make his first appearance in a Multnomah County courtroom on Tuesday. Instagram account of 'reckless' blue pickup driver strikes fear in Portland online community Officials say the other driver has not been found. Nick Brown said he'd 'be upset as well if someone parked in the middle of Hawthorne. I mean, it's a busy street, very vibrant street.' At the time of the incident, Brown — who had seen the Instagram videos — didn't know Burell was the suspect. He's glad Burell is off the streets for now. 'I think that people that break the law maliciously are not the people that we want in the city,' Brown said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Yahoo
‘Reckless' blue pickup driver linked to infamous Instagram account arrested, identified
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A man accused of driving recklessly throughout Portland was arrested Friday — but not before with hundreds of videos documenting his antics. The Instagram account featured dozens of videos of a man filming himself in a bright blue 1994 GMC Sierra pickup truck. The content ranges from driving on the shoulder of the I-5 to doing donuts on the grass near the tennis courts of Peninsula Park. Police preparing for thousands of marchers this weekend in downtown Portland For weeks, the social media account was updated nearly every hour with new videos. Some featured close-ups of hand gestures that mimic shooting, while others captured with statements like, 'N***** big mad on the internet.' In some cases, the videos showed him dancing in the middle of the road while cars raced by. Several others featured him sitting outside his driver's seat window while controlling the car on various streets. Police say the 'reckless' driver, now publicly identified as 33-year-old Oscar Burell, Jr., called police to report a hit and run around 11:45 a.m. near 3700 SE Hawthorne Blvd. The responding officer recognized Burell's name and called for backup to help arrest him. Investigators say Burell was 'involved in a confrontation with another driver' when the other driver sideswiped Burell, who was standing in the middle of the road, before driving away. Burell was arrested on charges of reckless driving (three counts), first-degree criminal mischief, and recklessly endangering another person. Officials say the other driver has not been found. Albany crews use Jaws of Life to remove 13-year-old biker caught under truck Portland police launched an investigation into Burell in late March 2025 following 'tips from the public and news media about the suspect's concerning posts.' During the investigation, several concerned Portland residents took to to share their experiences after reporting them to police. 'I saw him driving southbound on MLK on Wednesday as I was going North and it took my brain a whole minute to process what the f*** was going on,' a said. 'The area he's frequenting is my neighborhood…I bike, walk and occasionally drive here. This is genuinely so f****** scary.' At times, the posts showed him approaching homes. One Redditor commented that they had found a video of the man on their porch through the Instagram account. 'Holy s***, this guy pulled up in front of my house and started dancing on my porch sometime on Wednesday,' one Redditor commented. 'It was nuts. I noticed he was filming himself while he was writhing on the road. Wtf.' Feds add Portland site to list of properties up for 'accelerated disposition' Earlier this month, the Portland Police Bureau confirmed to KOIN 6 News that they were searching for Burell, though they did not publicly identify him at that time. 'PPB recognizes the risk this person presents to the community and is very concerned about the reckless actions being taken,' PPB said in their statement to KOIN 6 News. Stay with KOIN 6 News as this story develops. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
