Law enforcement kept busy with 2 early morning pursuits around Ferndale Saturday

FERNDALE, Wash. — Multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in nearly simultaneous but unrelated pursuits of driving under the influence (DUI) suspects after 2am, Saturday, February 11th.

According to a press release from the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) today, February 13th, deputies were dispatched about 2:30am to a hit and run incident by reported by witnesses in the 1300 block of Slater Road, in the area of the I-5 overpass. A detailed description of the suspect vehicle and direction of travel was provided.

A vehicle matching the suspect vehicle description was located in the area driving without headlights on. Deputies followed it northbound on I-5 from Slater Road as it reached speeds of 100mph in the 70mph zone. An attempt to perform a traffic stop was attempted but the vehicle failed to yield and continued at speeds up to 110mph.

The first suspect vehicle ran over a spike strip deployed by a Blaine Police officer in the 2900 block of Birch Bay-Lynden Road. It continued fleeing and ran over another spike strip deployed by a WCSO deputy in the 2700 block of Birch Bay-Lynden Road. According to the press release, the suspect vehicle swerved toward the deputy and the WCSO patrol vehicle.

The suspect vehicle stopped with flat tires in the 2300 block of Birch Bay-Lynden Road and the driver was taken into custody after a short foot pursuit. According to the press release, while the driver “was being taken into custody, she was extremely agitated telling deputies they were not allowed to pursue her because they were in Washington State.”

While the hit and run suspect vehicle was being pursued, other deputies were involved in separate and unrelated pursuit after 2 subjects were reported to have fled a fight that occurred in the area of Bill MacDonald Parkway and Samish Way.

Deputies located the 2 in the suspect vehicle and attempted to stop it. The suspect vehicle did not stop and the deputy engaged in a pursuit reaching speeds of 100mph on northbound I-5 until exiting at the Portal Way interchange in Ferndale according to WCSO Chief Deputy Rodger Funk.

According to unconfirmed radio transmissions at the time, the suspect vehicle drove through Ferndale and was observed running at least 1 stop light before turning northbound via the southbound off-ramp from I-5 at the Main Street interchange.

According to the press release, the deputy terminated the pursuit at this point. The suspect vehicle was located disabled a short time later and the driver fled on foot. After a foot pursuit, the driver was taken into custody.

Both drivers were booked into Whatcom County Jail.

The driver of the first vehicle, identified as Michelle L Diaz, age 34, was charged with the following crimes.

• attempting to elude a police vehicle
• driving under the influence
• reckless endangerment
• obstructing a police officer
• resisting arrest

The victim of the witnessed hit and run crash was not immediately located according to Funk.

Diaz was released from custody on her personal recognizance 10 hours after being booked according to jail records.

The driver of the second vehicle, identified as Daniel Szczygielski, age 38, was charged with the following crimes.

• attempting to elude a police vehicle
• reckless driving
• driving under the influence
• no valid operator’s license

A search of the vehicle Szczygielski was driving resulted in locating the following items.

• a stolen Glock handgun
• 13 gross grams Fentanyl pills
• paraphernalia
• stolen mail
• a stolen credit card
• stolen checks

As a result of these findings, Szczygielski has also been charged with the following crimes.

• 2 counts of 2nd-degree possession of stolen property
• 16 counts of possession of stolen mail
• financial fraud
• 1st-degree unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon
• possession of a stolen firearm

Szczygielski was also arrested on 2 active bench warrants. Both were for failing to appear court. 1 was out of Lynden Municipal Court where he faces a charge of reckless driving. The other in Whatcom County Superior Court while out of custody after posting a $125,000 appearance bond which has since been forfeited. The cases resulted from an incident where he had been found passed out in the driver’s seat of a vehicle still in drive with his foot on the brake.

He currently is facing the following charges in that case.

• attempting to elude a police vehicle
• possession of controlled substances
• possession of narcotic drug with intent to deliver
• unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon
• felony bail jumping
• driving under the influence (gross misdemeanor)

The bond requirement has been raised to $250,000 in that court case.

Szczygielski remained in custody at the Whatcom County Jail pending a preliminary court hearing scheduled for today where another bail amount(s) may be set.