An employee of the Designated Driver Shuttle, which student government shut down and seized control of this week, dodged a felony for car theft and other possible charges of hit and run, tampering with evidence and causing damage to a state motor pool vehicle when the district attorney’s office handed over judicial responsibility to the University last week.
Police listed the van as stolen after they discovered program co-Director Luke Ettinger and at least one other employee had taken another van to Mount Pisgah, police said. The trip was a violation of DDS’ contract with student government, ASUO officials said.
Eugene Police Department Officer Dallas Hall said after conducting interviews with the co-directors and the driver of the stolen vehicle that it seemed common practice for drivers to take out vans during non-operating hours. She reported being told that the program is poorly run.
“DDS is not very well monitored. They’re kind of going off and doing whatever they want,” she said.
The ASUO has temporarily shut down the shuttle, a student-funded taxi service for intoxicated students, because of the incidents and because the program violated earlier probation agreements. In October, alcohol containers were found in the DDS office for the second time in a five-month period.
Students’ incidental fees contributed more than $94,000 to DDS this year.
ASUO officials said they are aiming to restart the shuttle service within two weeks.
During winter break, Eric Alexander Raney, an undergraduate studying biology, was taken into custody after the van he was driving was reported stolen.
Hall said Raney admitted to crashing the van into a carport in the Duck’s Village apartment area, which is across the Willamette River about a mile northeast of the University, and causing what Hall described as a “huge dent,” about $300 in damages.
“I wasn’t able to locate exactly what he hit, and I don’t think he was very truthful about it,” she said.
Hall said Raney planned to replace the bumper before winter term started. She said Raney had possession of the van for at least four days in Portland.
The Emerald’s calls to Raney’s listed phone number were not returned.
She decided not to take Raney to jail because he was honest about taking the van and because he didn’t have a criminal record, Hall said. The district attorney’s office transferred responsibility to the University and decided not to file charges for the same reason, she said.
DDS co-Director Ettinger and several other people, at least one of whom was a DDS employee, took another van during non-operating hours. This van was spotted at Mount Pisgah and reported to the Department of Public Safety, which then contacted the EMU director.
Officer Hall said Edwards was aware that Ettinger took the van but Edwards didn’t report it.
On Monday, Edwards told the Emerald he didn’t know the whereabouts of the vans or who took them.
Both Ettinger and Edwards have been removed from their positions for violating the group’s probation agreement with the ASUO. Three other employees have been removed and the ASUO is “anticipating vacancies for its driver/dispatcher positions,” according to an employment ad placed in the Emerald. One DDS driver, Matt R. Brown, confirmed being “axed” from DDS in an online post to Ettinger dated Jan. 9.
The ASUO is currently servicing the five DDS vans, but Programs Administrator David Goward said the damage to the bumper was not being repaired because it isn’t preventing the van from running. The services, which total $3,550, according to a purchase order, include door-lock replacements. Goward said keys are missing from some of the DDS vans.
A review committee has been created to investigate the hiring and operating practices of DDS and will work expediently to re-open the program.
“This is a major evaluation of what’s going on in the program,” said ASUO President Adam Walsh, “and that’s going to take a while.”
The committee will be interviewing current and former DDS employees and requests riders’ feedback during the investigation. Students with comments, concerns or complaints are encouraged to send an e-mail to [email protected].
A new committee will be created for hiring co-directors in the next three months. Goward and Student Senator Dallas Brown will serve as interim co-directors until replacements are found.
“It’s important that people find a safe ride home and they don’t drink and drive,” Walsh said.
Contact the campus and federal politics reporter at

[email protected]