On August 9, 2025, at 1:00 AM, 28 year old Mark Troughton left the Peacock Bar and Grill. He turned into a nearby alley way, crashed into a dumpster, and then drove off. Multiple Corvallis Police Officers, investigating an unrelated assault nearby, reported the crash over the radio. Benton County Sheriff’s Deputy Brandom Bloom responded, and caught up with Troughton a few blocks from the dumpster crash.
Troughton admitted to hitting the dumpster, but downplayed the event saying, “I didn’t think anything of it. There’s more damage to my vehicle than the dumpster.” When Bloom read him his rights Troughton stated, “No comment.” Bloom then arrested him based on his assessment that Troughton was impaired. A subsequent search warrant let to a breath test showing Troughton’s blood alcohol level was a .07% about one hour after the crash.
After a one day trial and about 45 minutes of deliberation, a jury determined Troughton was impaired at the time of driving, and found him guilty of DUI and Reckless Driving. The case was prosecuted by Benton County Deputy District Attorney, John Vehrs…