Regional news
Man killed after SUV goes over curb, flips
A 56-year-old man was killed Tuesday after he apparently lost control of his sport utility vehicle and it tumbled down an embankment near the Spokane River in West Central Spokane.
The man, whose name was not released pending notification of relatives, was ejected from the car and died at the scene, Spokane police said.
Someone spotted the vehicle about 12:35 p.m. near the base of a steep hill on Ohio Avenue, just after the road bends, turning into Summit Boulevard, police spokesman Dick Cottam said. It is not known exactly when the SUV went over the embankment.
Evidence at the scene indicates the SUV was traveling at a high speed, moving out of a turn on the gravel roadway when the driver lost control, Cottam said. The SUV hit the curb sideways, flipped over, went airborne, and tumbled down the embankment. The vehicle stopped at a tree about 220 feet down the hill, Cottam said.
The driver was thrown from the vehicle about halfway down the hill.
An autopsy will determine the cause of death. Police will request a toxicology report to determine if the man was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, Cottam said.
Washington Reagan memorials planned
Olympia A memorial service for Ronald Reagan is planned Friday at the Olympia United Methodist Church.
State lawmakers, state officials, the consular corps, local leaders and the general public are invited to the noon service, said the organizers, Secretary of State Sam Reed and former Secretary of State Ralph Munro and his wife, Karen Munro. Karen Munro was a Reagan aide.
The church is at 1224 Legion Way.
Previously, state Republican Chairman Chris Vance and GOP Senate candidate George Nethercutt announced a public memorial service at 3 p.m. Friday at Cedar Park Assembly of God Church in Bothell. The church is at 16300 112th Ave. N.E. in the northeast Seattle suburb.
Fleeing suspect eludes Border Patrol copter
Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies are searching for a man who eluded deputies, a police dog, a U.S. marshal, and a U.S. Border Patrol helicopter.
The incident began in north Spokane County about 10 p.m. Sunday, said sheriff’s spokesman Cpl. Dave Reagan. A deputy saw a black GMC Suburban run a stop sign at Wall and Bellwood Drive.
When the deputy caught up, the SUV sped south on Mill Road. A chase ensued, reaching speeds of 65 to 70 mph. It ended when the SUV turned onto Riverbluff Lane, which ends at a gated community, Reagan said.
The driver attempted to go over an embankment, Reagan said. The driver jumped from the vehicle and ran into the woods, and despite a search with a K-9 dog, could not be located.
The SUV had been reported stolen from a home in the 10500 block of Waikiki.
At 6:55 a.m. Monday, an off-duty deputy saw a man matching the suspect’s description walking near Waikiki and North Five Mile roads, Reagan said.
Despite an additional search from a Border Patrol helicopter, the suspect was still not found.
He is described as white, 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet tall, with a medium build. He had a ponytail, and was wearing blue jeans. He was last seen near the Whitworth water tank.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Check at 456-2233.
‘Savage’ mascot being sanded from bricks
Cheney Work has begun to remove images of a 30-year-old “savage” mascot of a tomahawk-carrying Indian caricature from Eastern Washington University’s sports complex.
The image was imprinted onto bricks and cemented into the walkway leading into the complex south of Woodward Field. The grinding and removal of the old mascot marks a potential end to a bubbling controversy for the state school, which was confronted with American Indian students who wanted the image removed.
The project was bid out for $61,500, which will take the image off thousands of bricks, said Shawn King, associate vice president for facilities and planning.
The savage bricks received attention when the student newspaper did a few stories about EWU students who scanned the image from the bricks into a computer and printed it onto five T-shirts for basketball games. The students have since apologized. The controversy led to a meeting between University President Stephen Jordan and Indian students.
On Friday, Jordan called another meeting with Indian students to announce the work crews had started, said Keven Shipman, 40, a graduate history student and Shoalwater Bay Indian. He videotaped the work crew for a documentary he’s trying to make on the mascot conflict.
“They’re getting those bricks sanded down. We’re really happy about it,” Shipman said Tuesday. “We were very relieved.”
Jury in Al-Hussayen case still deliberating
Boise Jurors continued searching for a verdict Tuesday in the case of Sami Omar Al-Hussayen, who is accused of supporting terrorism.
The jury ended a fifth day of deliberations without any sign it was nearing agreement on a verdict. Deliberations will resume this morning.
The University of Idaho graduate student, who has been pursuing a doctorate in computer science, is charged with turning the Web sites of a Muslim religious organization into an Internet network to finance and recruit terrorists.