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- Vehicle Pursuit Leads to the Arrest of 74 year old Port Townsend Man
Vehicle Pursuit Leads to the Arrest of 74 year old Port Townsend Man
- By Capt. Mike Stringer
- Published 06/22/2011
- Press Releases
On June 21st at approximately 7:30 pm, Jeffcom received a report of an erratically driven vehicle traveling southbound on State Route 19 from the Port Townsend area. Numerous reporting parties stated the white truck was driving into oncoming traffic, and was driving erratically with the vehicle’s emergency flashers activated.
Deputy Peterson from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office located the vehicle minutes later on SR 19 traveling over the centerline as it approached him. As Deputy Peterson turned around to stop the truck it pulled into the Beaver Valley Store and stopped. Peterson pulled in behind the suspect vehicle to conduct a traffic stop, and as he exited his patrol car to contact the driver, the driver fled.
The male driver stopped briefly again on the shoulder of SR 19 at Oak Bay Road, and again as the Deputy approached, the male waved his arm out the vehicle and fled towards State Route 104. The driver stopped at the intersection of SR 104 and SR 19, displayed his middle finger out the window to the Deputy, and again fled eastbound towards the Hood Canal Bridge.
The suspect continued to drive into oncoming lanes of travel, stopping on three more occasions and then fleeing, including twice on the Hood Canal Bridge. Deputy Peterson followed the vehicle into Kitsap County, where he witnessed the vehicle fail to negotiate the ninety degree corner in Port Gamble, leaving the roadway and going over the embankment into the old Port Gamble mill site.
The driver, identified as 74 year-old Steven L. King of Port Townsend, refused to exit the vehicle, and had to be quickly removed from the vehicle by deputies as the vehicle smoldered and began to catch fire. King suffered minor injuries and was transported to Jefferson General Hospital for evaluation. Charges are currently pending for Attempting to Elude Pursuing Police Vehicle.
Deputy Peterson from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office located the vehicle minutes later on SR 19 traveling over the centerline as it approached him. As Deputy Peterson turned around to stop the truck it pulled into the Beaver Valley Store and stopped. Peterson pulled in behind the suspect vehicle to conduct a traffic stop, and as he exited his patrol car to contact the driver, the driver fled.
The male driver stopped briefly again on the shoulder of SR 19 at Oak Bay Road, and again as the Deputy approached, the male waved his arm out the vehicle and fled towards State Route 104. The driver stopped at the intersection of SR 104 and SR 19, displayed his middle finger out the window to the Deputy, and again fled eastbound towards the Hood Canal Bridge.
The suspect continued to drive into oncoming lanes of travel, stopping on three more occasions and then fleeing, including twice on the Hood Canal Bridge. Deputy Peterson followed the vehicle into Kitsap County, where he witnessed the vehicle fail to negotiate the ninety degree corner in Port Gamble, leaving the roadway and going over the embankment into the old Port Gamble mill site.
The driver, identified as 74 year-old Steven L. King of Port Townsend, refused to exit the vehicle, and had to be quickly removed from the vehicle by deputies as the vehicle smoldered and began to catch fire. King suffered minor injuries and was transported to Jefferson General Hospital for evaluation. Charges are currently pending for Attempting to Elude Pursuing Police Vehicle.
