High-Speed Chase Ends In Wreck, Arrest

A Spokane man led sheriff’s deputies on a 100-mph chase across the county Tuesday before wrecking the van he was driving.

Donald Roberts, 42, was booked into jail on suspicion of attempting to elude police, deputies said.

The chase began near Broadway and Ella in the Valley when Deputy Eric Johnson spotted the van blocking southbound traffic on Ella.

When Johnson walked to the driver’s side of the van to find out what was going on, Roberts zoomed away, deputies said.

Roberts drove through a residential area at speeds approaching 70 mph, running traffic lights and stop signs along the way, deputies said.

He then entered I-90 at Fancher and accelerated to 100 mph. He exited at the Garden Springs interchange and drove to the area of Assembly and Thorpe, where he rolled the van, according to deputies.

Johnson and other deputies took Roberts into custody when he climbed, unhurt, out of the shattered front windshield.

Authorities were not sure what prompted Roberts to take off about 4:40 a.m. Johnson reported seeing stereo equipment and possible drug paraphernalia inside the van.

Detectives planned to request a search warrant so they could comb through the van, which was towed to the sheriff’s vehicle storage area as evidence.

, DataTimes