FERNDALE, Wash. — A Washington State Patrol (WSP) trooper attempted to pull over a vehicle seen speeding and failing to use a turn signal. Instead of stopping, the vehicle ran into the trooper’s vehicle and sped away, leading law enforcement on a 12-mile chase.
According to WSP Trooper Rocky Oliphant, the trooper initially attempted to stop the vehicle for speeding and failure to use a turn signal just after midnight this morning, April 25th, on Meridian Street near E Stuart Road. Shortly after, the suspect vehicle made contact with the Trooper’s patrol vehicle, no damage was sustained from this.
The trooper was joined by Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office deputies in pursuing the suspect vehicle north to W Horton Road, west to Aldrich Road, north to W Smith Road, west to Northwest Drive and north to W Wiser Lake Road. Oliphant said speeds during the pursuit were between 50 and 90mph. Near the intersection of W Axton Road and Northwest Drive, a WCSO deputy successfully deployed a spike strip, puncturing 2 of the suspect’s tires. The suspect vehicle turned onto W Wiser Lake Road and, with the flattened tires, was having trouble negotiating curves and crashed in the 600 block of W Wiser Lake Road.
After crashing, the driver, identified as Joseph D Nelson, age 33, refused to comply with law enforcement’s commands and resisted arrest but was subsequently taken into custody.
Whatcom County Fire District 7 Fire Chief Larry Hoffman said aid was dispatched to the scene of the crash. They evaluated and released 1 patient at the scene.
Nelson was booked into the Whatcom County Jail by WSP charged with suspicion of attempting to elude a police vehicle and resisting arrest according to jail records. He is also being held on a bench warrant issued by Skagit County Superior Court for failure to appear in court where he faces charges of robbery, burglary, attempting to elude and others.
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