Man crashes motorcycle during brief chase in Spokane Valley

A 26-year-old man is accused of leading a sheriff’s deputy on a brief pursuit in Spokane Valley before crashing his motorcycle into another vehicle Thursday morning.

Deputy Brandon Wilson spotted a man, later identified as Jakob D. Petitto, riding a black Yamaha motorcycle near Sprague Avenue and Havana Street shortly after 8 a.m., according to a news release from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

Petitto was not wearing a helmet and the bike did not have a license plate, so Wilson activated his lights and siren and attempted to pull him over, the sheriff’s office said.

Petitto looked back at the patrol car before accelerating on Sprague and running a red light at Carnahan Road, the sheriff’s office said. He ran another light in the 5200 block of Sprague, attempting to pass cars in the turn lane before crashing into another vehicle in an intersection, the sheriff’s office said.

Petitto briefly attempted to run away but then began following commands and was arrested, the sheriff’s office said. He refused to answer questions and was taken to a hospital with what appeared to be minor injuries, the sheriff’s office said. The driver of the vehicle he struck was not injured, the sheriff’s office said.

The ignition on the motorcycle was “ground off” and deputies couldn’t find a key, the sheriff’s office said. Attempts to reach the owner of the bike were unsuccessful and it wasn’t immediately clear whether the bike was stolen, the sheriff’s office said.

Petitto was booked into the Spokane County Jail on a felony charge of attempting to elude police and issued traffic citations for not wearing a helmet, not carrying a driver’s license, not having a motorcycle endorsement and not having license plates and registration.