Suspected DUI driver in U-Haul van leads high-speed chase on I-5 in Washington state
A woman driving a U-Haul van reportedly led law enforcement on a high-speed chase early Wednesday along more than 70 miles of Interstate 5 across Whatcom, Skagit and Snohomish counties that didn’t end until she ran out of gas in Everett.
“The highest speed was 100 mph, but it 90 to 100 mph through most of the pursuit,” Washington State Patrol Trooper Jacob Kennett told The Bellingham Herald. “That’s moving for a U-Haul van. Most of them have stickers that say not to drive faster than 55.”
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office booked Anastasia Gerasimos Marriage, 43, into Whatcom County Jail at 11:02 a.m. Wednesday, July 13, on suspicion of DUI, attempting to elude police vehicles, driving with a suspended license and operating a vehicle without an ignition interlocking device.
The incident began shortly after 12:30 a.m. when the Lummi Nation Police Department attempted to pull over the driver, later identified as Marriage, for suspected DUI after the U-Haul was seen swerving and driving into oncoming traffic, Kennett reported.
“At some point, they reported seeing someone in the U-Haul throw a bong out the window,” Kennett said.
The U-Haul got on southbound I-5, where the sheriff’s office and Bellingham Police Department picked up the chase, according to the Bellingham incident log. At around the Bow Hill scales, the State Patrol took over the pursuit, Kennett said.
The U-Haul continued to speed south through Skagit County and into Snohomish, according to Kennett.
At the Smokey Point exit, Marriage got off the freeway, crossed over the bridge and entered the northbound lanes still heading south, Kennett said.
“Amazingly, it didn’t hit anyone, though I understand there were a few near misses when it was going the wrong way,” Kennett said.
Four miles later at 116th Street Northeast, Marriage again exited the freeway and got back on, this time in the southbound lanes, where she continued to Everett, according to Kennett.
“I talked to the Troopers who were following it at that point, and they said it was just like the U-Haul ran out of gas, Kennett said.
Troopers executed a high-risk stop and detained Marriage and a passenger in the U-Haul, Kennett said, and Marriage was later transferred to Whatcom County Sheriff’s deputies to be booked into Whatcom County Jail.
This story was originally published July 13, 2022 at 4:29 PM with the headline "Suspected DUI driver in U-Haul van leads high-speed chase on I-5 in Washington state."
