Streets Closed As Deputies Chase Car-Theft Suspect Around Valley
A man driving a stolen car led sheriff’s deputies on a high-speed chase Monday morning, forcing the closure of several Spokane Valley streets.
Deputies spotted a maroon Toyota Corolla near Sprague Avenue and Gillis Road about 9 a.m. The car had been reported stolen.
When deputies tried to stop the car, it sped south on Bowdish Road. The car continued south on Dishman-Mica Road before turning back to the north and heading along Highway 27 at speeds of up to 110 miles per hour.
Deputies blocked traffic at Highway 27 and 32nd Avenue and at Sprague and Pines Avenue because they feared the public might be injured in the chase, said Lt. David Wiyrick.
When the stolen car turned west on Sprague and deputies ended the pursuit because it had become too dangerous, Wiyrick said.
A few minutes later, a Washington State Patrol trooper saw the stolen car near Broadway Avenue and Ella Road.
A sheriff’s deputy who also was patrolling in the area found the stolen car parked in a parking lot at an apartment complex at 916 N. Ella.
Deputies questioned a 25-year-old man who had been a passenger in the stolen car during the chase and released him. Deputies identified the driver as 32-year-old Kevin W. Wissman.
He is wanted on felony warrants for possession of a controlled substance and forgery. Each carries a $10,000 bond.
The Sheriff’s Department is asking residents to call Crime Check at 456-2233 if they see Wissman.
Car rams another on freeway
A man jealous of his ex-girlfriend’s new relationship rammed his car into a car in which she was riding on Interstate 90 early Saturday.
A 22-year-old man told deputies he and the woman were driving east along the freeway in his 1976 Ford Grenada when David R. Brooker passed them about 2:30 a.m.
Deputies said Brooker then pulled his 1972 Buick LeSabre in front of the man’s car, slammed on his brakes and forced the man’s car into the center lane. Brooker then slammed his car into the other car, damaging its passenger side.
The man drove to the 2000 block of North Argonne where he called deputies. Brooker, who followed the two, was arrested there.
Brooker previously dated the woman and was angry because the woman is now dating the driver of the other car, Wiyrick said.
Brooker, who gave a west Spokane address, was booked into county jail for two counts of second-degree assault, including one for domestic violence. No one was injured in the collision.
California fugitive arrested
A man wanted on felony drug and theft charges in California was arrested in the Valley last week after deputies stopped his car.
Merle Dennis Witter, 48, who gave a Spokane address, was booked into the county jail as a fugitive late last Wednesday.
Deputies stopped the car Witter was driving in the 800 block of North Park Road just before midnight, Wiyrick said. Deputies said he was driving recklessly.
When deputies checked Witter’s record with a radio dispatcher, they discovered a warrant for his arrest in California. The warrant carries a $5,000 bond, Wiyrick said.
, DataTimes