High-speed chase leads officer to Idaho

A Liberty Lake police officer launched a high-speed chase that ended in Post Falls on Dec. 19 when the officer spotted a car that had been reported stolen in Spokane that day.

The Toyota Sienna was seen at Appleway Boulevard and Liberty Lake Road at 11:15 p.m. The driver drove away at high speeds on Interstate 90 when the officer tried to stop the car, said Police Chief Brian Asmus. The car reached speeds of 100 mph before leaving the freeway in Post Falls. The Idaho State Patrol, Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office and Post Falls Police Department were called to help and the fleeing car hit spike strips near Highway 41 and Poleline Road that had been set up by officers.

A male passenger tried to run and was quickly caught, Asmus said. He was wanted on felony warrants. The female driver reportedly admitted stealing the car, Asmus said. She was arrested on charges of attempting to elude a police vehicle, possession of a stolen vehicle and driving with a suspended license and was booked into the Kootenai County Jail.

The rest of the week of Dec. 19-26 was quieter in Liberty Lake. One driver was arrested for driving with a suspended license and another was arrested on a warrant for the same charge. One man was arrested for driving with a suspended license and operating a vehicle without a required ignition interlock. An accident was reported in the 1700 block of Liberty Lake Road on Dec. 22 and it also was reported that the driver was trying to leave, Asmus said. The 18-year-old Spokane Valley resident was arrested for driving under the influence.

A resident of Zillah, Wash., was stopped for driving 98 mph in a 35 mph zone in the 21600 block of Country Vista Drive at 12:40 a.m. on Dec. 24. He was arrested for driving under the influence.

Officers were called to help Spokane Valley Police with a large party where a fight broke out at an apartment complex in the 15700 block of East Fourth Avenue at 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 27.