Whatcom man reportedly rams sheriff’s office patrol vehicle, leads wrong way chase on I-5
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man who reportedly rammed a patrol vehicle with his truck and led deputies on a wrong-way chase on Interstate 5 in Bellingham early Sunday.
Crayton Todd Williams, 44, was booked into Whatcom County Jail April 24 on suspicion of multiple crimes, including first-degree assault, attempting to elude police, DUI, possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen vehicle and reckless endangerment.
At approximately 1:30 a.m. Sunday, deputies spotted the truck Williams was driving without a license plate traveling southbound on Interstate 5 near the Meridian Street exit, sheriff’s office spokesperson Deb Slater told The Bellingham Herald in an email Monday, April 25. The truck reportedly was traveling at speeds between 35 and 50 mph, weaving back and forth within its lane and had an unsecured load.
Deputies attempted to pull the truck over, and Williams exited the freeway and slowed to the right, as if he intended to stop, Slater reported, but the truck instead accelerated and hit the front passenger side of the sheriff’s office patrol vehicle and pushed it down the on-ramp back onto I-5.
Deputies followed, but Williams refused to stop and at one point drove northbound in the southbound lanes of the freeway, according to Slater.
Deputies performed a Pursuit Intervention Technique called a PIT maneuver, which deflated the rear driver’s side tire of the truck, Slater reported, but Williams continued, leaving sparks in his wake.
A second PIT maneuver stopped Williams’ vehicle, according to Slater, but Williams refused commands to exit the vehicle. Instead, deputies reported he was seen reaching under and behind his seat.
Deputies deployed less-lethal pepper powder into the vehicle, and Williams exited and was taken into custody, Slater reported.
Deputies observed a .380 auto pistol on the floor of the truck between the door and the driver’s seat, according to Slater, as well as drug paraphernalia. A motorcycle, that had been reported stolen to the Bellingham Police Department, was in the bed of the truck and had been obscuring an altered temporary license plate in the back window of the truck.
After getting a warrant, deputies found a blue M30 fentanyl pill that had been partially smoked inside the truck, Slater reported.
Whatcom County Superior Court records show Williams had an outstanding bench warrant for his arrest for a charge of eluding police from Dec. 29 stemming from law enforcement’s investigation into a vehicle dropping off a man with a gunshot wound at St. Joseph’s hospital in Bellingham. The gunshot victim is Williams’ son, according to court documents in the case.
Court records also show Williams was already scheduled to be arraigned on possession of a stolen vehicle charges Monday stemming from another incident in late 2021 and is awaiting trial on a failure to register as a sex offender charge from late 2019.
Additionally, court records show Williams has previous convictions for theft, indecent liberties, unlawful possession of firearms, attempting to elude police, failure to register as a sex offender, community custody violation and bail jumping.
