Man leads trooper on high-speed chase, crashes

A Vancouver man led a Washington State trooper on a high-speed chase on Interstate 5 Thursday morning that ended when he crashed and rolled his vehicle.

The man, whose name has not been released, was driving a silver 1999 Volkswagen Jetta north on Interstate 205 when he passed a motorcycle trooper using a radar gun near Northeast 134th Street in Salmon Creek, said Washington State Patrol Trooper Will Finn.

The trooper clocked the Jetta traveling 73 mph in a posted 60 mph speed zone. When the trooper motioned for the Jetta to pull over, the man kept driving, Finn said.

Ignoring the lights and sirens of the trooper, the driver of the Jetta took off and continued onto Interstate 5, where he traveled at a high rate of speed, going as fast as 105 mph, Finn said.

The Jetta exited the freeway at Northeast 219th Street and attempted to negotiate a turn onto the street, which is also state Highway 502, crashing and rolling on the north embankment, Finn said. The crash occurred about 9:15 a.m.

Clark County Fire & Rescue responded and extricated the man from the vehicle, transporting him to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center. Finn said the man had internal injuries and a possibly broken arm.

Drugs and alcohol may be factors, Finn said, but the investigation is ongoing.