News Update

POSTED: Monday, Jul. 06, 2009

Burlington woman arrested after car chase in Custer

CUSTER - A 20-year-old Burlington woman led Whatcom County Sheriff's deputies on a car chase through Custer at 10:20 p.m. Sunday, July 5.

The pursuit began when a deputy saw a Pontiac Firebird driving north on Portal Way, ran its license plate and it came back to a driver whose license was suspended, said Chief Criminal Deputy Jeff Parks of the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office. The deputy tried to pull over the Pontiac, but it sped up and drove away, Parks said.

The Pontiac turned onto a dead end in the 3100 block of Main Street, where it slid into a guardrail, drove through a gravel driveway, hit a fence and tore up the landscaping of a yard before hitting a house, Parks said.

The suspect fled from the vehicle and the Bellingham Police Department was called in to assist with a K-9 unit, Parks said.

The suspect was later found hiding in some nearby brush.

Stephanie Rose Parish was arrested for investigation of felony eluding, and for warrants from the state Department of Corrections for escaping from community custody and from Skagit County for violating a no-contact order, Parks said.

No one was injured during the pursuit, but Parish did have some scratches from hiding in the brush, he said.

The siding of the house was damaged in the crash.