Hourlong chase ends in arrest

Published 11:43 pm Friday, October 17, 2008

MONROE — A reckless driver who got away once was cornered by police Friday after leading them on a second car chase.

Deputies arrested the man just before 3 p.m. in the parking lot of Fred Meyer at 18805 U.S. 2, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Lt. John Flood said.

No one was injured during the hourlong chase. At one point, the car was going 90 mph, Flood said.

Police recognized the car as the same one they chased Thursday afternoon around the same time. That chase, between Snohomish and Monroe, lasted about 10 minutes before officers decided to call off the pursuit, Flood said.

“We weighed the risks the driver was taking and decided that it was safer for the community to let him get away,” he said.

The 20-year-old man was driving the Ford Taurus on Friday with a suspended license. Police are still working to confirm that he is the same person they saw driving the car on Thursday.

Friday’s pursuit started around 1:45 p.m. after deputies spotted the Taurus speeding in the same area as Thursday, near Old Snohomish Monroe Road.

With a sheriff’s office helicopter tracking the car’s location, deputies followed the driver to Sultan and then back to Monroe, where they finally boxed him in a parking lot.

One police car and one other vehicle were struck during the pursuit, causing minor damage, Flood said, going on to note that police used a spike strip to deflate the car’s tires, but the driver kept going, driving on a bare rim.

He said reckless driving is a serious concern for police. “It’s a risk not only to citizens but also to the officers. That’s not something we tolerate,” Flood said.

Reporter Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452 or kyefimova@heraldnet.com.