Man leads deputies on high-speed chase through Spokane, Spokane Valley

A high-speed pursuit Saturday night spanned several neighborhoods in Spokane and Spokane Valley and nearly caused a head-on collision with sheriff’s deputies.

The chase started about 10:45 p.m. when a deputy spotted a car with Minnesota license plates speeding in the wrong direction on Third Avenue near Custer Road, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release.

Several patrol cars and the Sheriff’s Office helicopter joined the pursuit as the car traveled recklessly toward downtown Spokane, the release said. They paused the pursuit when the suspect’s car passed Sherman Street on Sprague Avenue, deeming it too dangerous to continue in the downtown area.

The chase picked up again on the South Hill, when the suspect made a U-turn and sped toward three deputies’ cars near 14th Avenue and Grand Boulevard, forcing them to perform “evasive maneuvers,” the release said.

The suspect’s car later sped across the Maple Street Bridge and struck a light pole as he attempted to turn onto Northwest Boulevard, the release said. The driver got out and attempted to run through a parking lot, but a police dog caught his left arm and two deputies took him to the ground.

The driver, identified as Edwin Hernandez-Vasquez, 29, is being held in the Spokane County Jail on a $10,000 bond. He faces charges of attempting to elude law enforcement, driving without a license, resisting arrest and reckless driving.

The Sheriff’s Office said Hernandez-Vasquez is in the United States illegally and was previously deported to Honduras. Immigration officers were notified of the incident.