K-9 tracks alleged DUI driver who fled from police and drove wrong way in roundabout
Bellingham police K-9 Destro located a suspected DUI driver who fled from police and went the wrong way through a roundabout before getting out of his car, jumping a fence and hiding in another car that didn’t belong to him.
Alan Ricardo Hernandez-Borjas, 21, was booked into Whatcom County Jail Wednesday, Nov. 20, on suspicion of DUI, attempting to elude a police vehicle, second-degree driving while license suspended, resisting arrest and second-degree vehicle prowling.
Officers first spotted a car driven by Hernandez-Borjas at approximately 12:57 a.m. Wednesday exiting the freeway on the northbound off-ramp at Bakerview Road at a high rate of speed, Lt. Claudia Murphy said. Hernandez-Borjas reportedly slammed the brakes when he approached the intersection, made a left turn onto West Bakerview Road and swerved across all lanes of traffic, before trying to make a right turn after having passed the on-ramp.
Officers gave chase and attempted to stop Hernandez-Borjas for his erratic driving, Murphy said, but he accelerated away.
The pursuit lasted approximately four miles on Interstate 5 to Slater Road and then onto Northwest Drive, Murphy said, with Hernandez-Borjas exceeding the speed limit, ignoring stop signs and driving the wrong way through a roundabout.
After turning south on Northwest from Slater, Murphy said Hernandez-Borjas drove down a dirt road that ended at a gate. Hernandez-Borjas reportedly got out, hopped the gate and ran away through a grass field, despite officers’ commands to stop.
K-9 Destro and his handler tracked Hernandez-Borjas and located him hiding in a car that did not belong to him, Murphy said. Though he reportedly ignored commands to exit the car with his hands up initially, Hernandez-Borjas eventually complied and was taken into custody without further incident.
Before taking Hernandez-Borjas to jail, Murphy said officers took him to be checked at the emergency room when he reported not feeling well and that he had consumed drugs.
This story was originally published November 22, 2019 at 11:54 AM.
