Olympia man fled deputies at close to 155 mph during chase, records allege
Thurston County deputies arrested a 54-year-old Olympia man after a high-speed pursuit that started in east Olympia Thursday evening.
The pursuit started after 11 p.m. near the intersection of Sleater Kinney Road Northeast and Martin Way East in Olympia and ended in the 3900 block of 20th Avenue Northeast, according to court and jail records reviewed by The Olympian.
A deputy first trailed the man as he drove a red Dodge Charger northbound on Sleater Kinney Road Northeast, court records show. Deputies reportedly sought the man because there was a warrant for his arrest in a 2019 second-degree assault case in Thurston County Superior Court, and the man’s license was previously suspended.
The deputy turned on their patrol vehicle lights in a fast food parking lot, and the man allegedly revved his engine and sped away. He turned westbound onto Martin Way and eventually turned onto northbound Lily Road Northeast. He allegedly blew past an active construction zone at high speeds at the intersection of Ensign Road and Lily Road, according to court records.
The pursuing deputy estimated the man reached speeds of nearly 155 miles per hour during the pursuit, court records show.
Troopers aboard Smokey, a Washington State Patrol airplane, began tracking the vehicle as the pursuit continued through “rural county roads and residential neighborhoods,” court records state.
At one point, a deputy reportedly attempted to place spike strips on the road, but the man cut through a store parking lot to avoid them. The pursuing deputy then used a “tactical vehicle intervention” maneuver in which he struck the rear of the man’s vehicle, per the court records.
The man’s vehicle spun 180 degrees, but he allegedly continued southbound on Lily Road at speeds “over 100 miles per hour,” court records state.
The pursuing deputy lost track of the vehicle, but Smokey continued to follow from above. About two minutes later, troopers advised the man bailed from his vehicle and ran away. Troopers later located and detained him.
Deputies booked him into the county jail on suspicion of attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle, third-degree driving while license suspended and reckless driving, as well as for the warrant for the 2019 case. Prosecutors have not yet charged him. He’s expected to have his initial court appearance Friday afternoon.
The Olympian asked Lt. Mike Brooks, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, to share details about the pursuit Friday morning. Brooks said he did not have information about the pursuit and suggested The Olympian request public records about it. The Olympian’s request for the police report is pending.
