Oregon State Hospital staff left a patient unattended in a van with keys in the ignition on Aug. 30, which allowed the patient charged with attempted murder to drive off and lead police on a chase along Interstate 5, according to a report from federal regulators.
Christopher Lee Pray, 39, was rescued by Portland firefighters from a mud pit two days later and arrested. Pray was at the State Hospital in Salem for treatment because a Multnomah County judge found his mental illness was too acute to aid in his own criminal defense.
Earlier on Aug. 30, after he was admitted into the facility, Pray had “an altercation with another patient” and was taken to an emergency room, state hospital officials said in a release at the time. It was after his return to the psychiatric hospital Pray got control of a white Dodge Caravan that belonged to the hospital and escaped.
Details of how Pray was able to escape in a state hospital van were included in a one-page report from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Last week, an investigator from the federal agency was on site and found the psychiatric facilities’ secure transportation policies deficient.
“The hospital failed to prevent a psychiatric patient charged with multiple serious violent crimes and prior convictions from gaining control of a hospital transport vehicle and eloping upon return to the hospital from a supervised medical outing,” the federal investigator wrote. “Hospital staff left the vehicle keys in the ignition unattended with the patient in the vehicle. Staff exited the vehicle, and the patient who was in [secure transport restraints], accessed the keys, and sped away.”
The Oregon Health Authority is required to fix the problem, or risk losing federal money.
In a four-page written response, State Hospital officials stated they would use specialized vehicles similar to law enforcement vehicles during future secure transports.
“These vehicles have a built-in secure protective barrier between the front and the rear passenger areas of the vehicle,” Oregon officials wrote. “With this barrier in place, a patient will be unable to access the drivers’ area of the vehicle from the seats in the rear of the vehicle.”
State Hospital staff will also use secure garages called sally ports, where patients will enter and exit the vehicles and staff will “maintain complete control of secure vehicle keys at all times.”
On Monday, the psychiatric facility received two additional secure vehicles from the state motor pool, increasing the number to four. Staff will also provide “refresher training” to staff.
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