Speeding Sportscar Lands In Ditch

Spokane sheriff’s deputies arrested a North Side man Saturday after a high-speed chase on Bigelow Gulch Road.

Just past midnight, a deputy in a marked car saw a Chevrolet Corvette driving north on Argonne at an estimated speed of 80 mph in a 45-mph zone.

Following the car, he saw the driver pass two cars on the right, then turn west on Bigelow Gulch Road. The deputy turned on his cruiser’s flashing lights, but the Corvette continued speeding, and passed cars in a no passing zone without signalling, said sheriff’s spokesman Dave Reagan.

The deputy said they were then traveling at about 90 mph.

As the road started winding, the deputy lost sight of the Corvette, but found it again under a guard rail in a ditch at Bigelow Gulch and Palmer. A witness said he saw the suspect hit the guard rail and land in the ditch.

The driver jumped out and tried to run, but stopped when he saw the deputy approach, Reagan said.

After noticing a strong smell of alcohol, the deputy conducted field sobriety tests. Paramedics checked the driver for injuries.

The deputy then arrested Donald D. Williams, 39, of 6821 N. Eastern. He was taken to jail and booked for attempting to elude an officer and for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Tool man arrested

Spokane sheriff’s deputies last week arrested a man suspected of being involved in numerous North Side vehicle prowlings.

On June 14, a deputy saw a man with a yellow backpack on a motorcycle with no left mirror and a broken right mirror pull up to a house at Lincoln and Regal. When he ran the license plate number, the deputy found it registered to a person with no motorcycle endorsement, said Reagan.

Later, at about 7 p.m., the deputy saw the same man leaving a parking lot in the 7200 block of North Market.

When he pulled up to the bike, the deputy noticed the ignition had been removed and the bike was hot-wired, Reagan said. The deputy discovered the man’s driver’s license was suspended and that he had three misdemeanor warrants. When he searched the man, he found two lock picks in his wallet.

In the backpack, the deputy found a pistol crossbow, pliers, wire cutters, screwdrivers, wrenches, spark plugs, a broken piece of spark plug ceramic tied to speaker wire and a flashlight, Reagan said.

Broken pieces of spark plug ceramic are often used to break windows during vehicle prowlings, Reagan added.

Tony A. Andrade, 20, of 2116 E. Gordon, was arrested on charges of driving with a suspended license and possession of burglary tools, and was booked into jail.

Investigation of his suspected connection to other North Side vehicle prowlings continues, Reagan said.

Bomb threat turns out to be hoax

On June 15 at about 2:10 p.m., Deer Park Middle School officials received a bomb threat from an unknown caller who stated there was a bomb in the gym, Reagan said.

Deputies evacuated the school, and a deputy and school custodian went into the gym but found nothing. Searching other areas of the school also turned up nothing.

Officials suspect the threat was an end-of-school prank.