YAKIMA — Authorities say a 25-year-old Vancouver man turned what could have been a minor traffic ticket into a possible felony when he decided to lead a Yakima County sheriff’s deputy on a high-speed chase Wednesday night.
The deputy attempted to stop the man for a traffic offense around 6:30 p.m. on U.S. Highway 97 about 2 miles north of Wapato, according to a sheriff’s office news release. Instead of stopping, the driver sped off, running through several stop signs and reaching speeds in excess of 120 mph, the release said.
Several miles later, the chase ended when the driver lost control of the vehicle on Harrah Road and was taken into custody, the release said. Sheriff’s Sgt. Judd Towell said the suspect initially gave a false name.
After being treated and released at a local hospital, the suspect was booked into the Yakima County jail on suspicion of eluding police, as well as an outstanding warrant out of Clark County, according to jail records.
He was expected to make an appearance in Yakima County Superior Court on Thursday afternoon.
