‘He was cooking’ — motorcyclist allegedly leads 33-minute chase from Bellingham to Everett
A motorcyclist allegedly averaged more than 98 mph and reached speeds in excess of 120 mph on southbound Interstate 5 through three counties while leading the Washington State Patrol on a chase from Bellingham to just north of Everett Friday night.
“He was cooking,” Trooper Heather Axtman told The Bellingham Herald. “They covered some serious ground.”
After a long, much-slower ride back north, the State Patrol booked Ryan Michael Nesbit, 27 of Sultan, into Whatcom County Jail early Saturday, Sept. 12, on suspicion of attempting to elude police vehicles (two counts), DUI, reckless endangerment, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen vehicle, second-degree taking a motor vehicle without permission and third-degree driving with a suspended license.
The State Patrol was first notified at 11:24 p.m. Friday by Bellingham police that they were pursuing a motorcycle without a license plate at high speeds near downtown Bellingham northbound on Boulevard approaching North State Street, Axtman said. The Bellingham Herald has reached out to the Bellingham Police Department to find out how the chase began.
At 11:26 p.m., the State Patrol learned that Bellingham officers had terminated the pursuit with the motorcycle heading southbound on I-5 near Sunset Drive at high speeds.
A State Patrol trooper cadet with a field training officer soon spotted the motorcycle ridden by Nesbit near exit 250 (Old Fairhaven Parkway) traveling at approximately 90 mph, Axtman said.
Nesbit kicked the speed up to more than 120 mph, Axtman reported, and with no traffic on the freeway at the time, troopers kept up the chase, passing the Nulle Road (exit 242) at 11:37 p.m. at 120 mph, racing across Skagit County at speeds between 95 and 120 mph and passing Starbird Road (exit 218) just 14 minutes later.
The chase continued into Snohomish County until Nesbit exited the freeway at Highway 530 just south of the Stillaguamish River, Axtman said. Nesbit reportedly ran a stop sign, and troopers terminated the pursuit at 11:54 p.m. with Nesbit paralleling I-5 at high speeds along Smokey Point Boulevard.
Approximately seven minutes later another trooper spotted a motorcycle traveling at approximately 100 mph heading south on I-5 in Marysville, according to Axtman. Troopers reportedly confirmed it was the same motorcycle, as Nesbit’s clothing matched the rider in the earlier pursuit and there was no license plate on the bike.
The chase continued south, until Nesbit pulled to right shoulder at 12:06 a.m. near Dagmar’s Marina (milepost 196), Axtman said, and after covering more than 54 miles in approximately 33 minutes, he was taken into custody without incident.
The motorcycle Nesbit was riding had been stolen from an impound lot at K&R Towing in Sultan, Axtman said.
This isn’t the first police chase Nesbit has led. Court records show he’s awaiting a Sept. 25 jury trail in Snohomish County on charges he twice attempted to elude police on Aug. 26, 2019, and Feb. 26, 2019.
In addition to that, Nesbit has previous convictions for possession of a controlled substance, taking a vehicle without permission, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen vehicle, trafficking stolen property in Snohomish and Okanogan counties.
This story was originally published September 14, 2020 at 12:15 PM.
