Thursday, Aug. 21, 2008
High-speed I-5 chase ends at Sunset Drive
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closeBELLINGHAM — A high-speed chase that spanned about 45 miles and three counties on Interstate 5 ended in a crash near Sunset Drive Wednesday, Aug. 20.
The chase began in the morning near the turnoff to Arlington in Snohomish County when a red 2001 Chevy Cavalier going more than 100 mph passed Washington State Patrol troopers, Trooper Keith Leary said.
Driver Torin B. Guilmet, 49, of Edmonds, did not pull over despite multiple attempts by troopers, Leary said.
The Cavalier was speeding at more than 100 mph through Whatcom County from around the Samish Way exit to the Iowa Street ramps, Leary said. The car slowed to about 75 mph before it clipped a box truck twice, spun around and crashed into the I-5 median concrete barrier at about 10:20 a.m.
Troopers quickly pulled Guilmet from the car, WSP Sgt. Timothy Coley said. Guilmet did not appear to suffer any injuries. He was examined at St. Joseph’s Hospital before being taken to Snohomish County Jail.
The driver of the box truck was uninjured.
WSP is investigating why Guilmet fled police. He may have been released from the Snohomish County Jail early or without reason, according to information given to the WSP, Leary said.
“It was relayed to us that this person should not have been released from the jail for reasons unknown to me,” Leary said. He declined to elaborate.
Guilmet was booked into the Snohomish County Jail on July 27 on suspicion of second-degree malicious mischief but was released Aug. 16 after no charges were filed, said Jim Harms, community corrections commander for the jail. He said the release was not early nor without reason.
The driver’s mother, who is the registered owner of the Cavalier, told WSP troopers that her son suffers from bi-polar disorder and diabetes. He may have been suffering medical problems at the time, Coley said.
At times during the chase, troopers stopped pursuing Guilmet because he was driving increasingly recklessly, Leary said.
“The safety of the public was outweighing our reasons to chase at this point,” Leary said.
The Cavalier would keep speeding, though, and troopers farther north on I-5 would again follow it and try to pull it over. They tried and failed in the Mount Vernon area.
They next picked up the pursuit in Whatcom County north of Old Fairhaven Parkway, where the Cavalier just missed hitting a trooper’s patrol car. A couple minutes later, the Chevy crashed.
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