Oregon Freshman Messiah Hampton Arrested on Reckless Driving and Eluding Charges After October 18 Chase

Oregon Ducks freshman wide receiver Messiah Hampton was arrested and booked in the Lane County Jail on Oct. 30, facing charges of reckless driving and eluding police, according to jail records confirmed by the Springfield Police Department. He was released in the early evening, several hours after his arrest.

The charges stem from a high-speed chase on Oct. 18 in Springfield, in the early morning hours after Oregon beat Nebraska at Autzen Stadium. Springfield officers pursued two vehicles that night but called off the pursuit for safety reasons, Ducks Wire reported.

Police identify Hampton as one driver

Springfield Police Deputy Chief George Crolly told The Oregonian that Hampton was identified as the driver of one of the two vehicles. Police were still working to identify the driver of the other vehicle, Crolly said.

One of the vehicles was abandoned and found near the area where Oregon wide receiver Evan Stewart was later arrested and charged with driving under the influence. Police said Stewart is not believed to be a suspect in the chase case, as covered in our earlier report on Stewart’s arrest. Another Oregon player, tight end Jamari Johnson, was cited for speeding that night, but police said he is not believed to be a suspect either.

Out for Saturday’s game

Hampton was a late addition to the Big Ten availability report on Friday night and was listed as out for Saturday’s game against Northwestern. It was the second week in a row he was listed as out after appearing on the report late on a Friday night.

Ducks Wire said it reached out to the University of Oregon for comment and had not received a response. The report said the story would be updated as more information becomes available.

Reporting based on coverage by Ducks Wire and The Oregonian.