Man arrested after fleeing police in stolen fire-station pickup
Published 10:34 pm Monday, June 20, 2011
BELLINGHAM — A man was arrested early Monday morning after he reportedly stole a truck from Snohomish County Fire District 26 in Gold Bar. His age and hometown were not available Monday.
A Washington State Patrol trooper was on his way to I-5 in the Mount Vernon area about 12:30 a.m. when he saw a pickup truck “just go flying by,” Trooper Keith Leary said.
The trooper followed the red Ford F150 and noticed it had a light bar on top and fire department door decals. He called dispatchers to make sure there were no fire callouts in the area. There weren’t.
The trooper turned on his sirens, and the truck took off, reaching speeds of about 100 mph, Leary said. Other police agencies joined the chase, and they were able to stop the truck with spike strips inside Bellingham city limits. A pistol and a large knife were reportedly found in the truck.
The man was booked into Skagit County Jail for investigation of attempting to elude police and possessing a stolen motor vehicle. Troopers believe he stole the truck from a Gold Bar fire station.
