Authorities say suspected car thief raced from Bellingham to Skagit County before crashing
A man suspected of stealing a car in Bellingham eluded authorities by driving the vehicle south for 15 minutes at high speeds before crashing and attempting to escape on foot.
Authorities say Lukes Robert Skinner, 33, stole the keys to a 2003 Honda Accord from the pockets of the owner while the owner was exiting the McDonald’s around 9:36 a.m. Feb. 22 on King Street in Bellingham. The vehicle was parked in the handicap spot of the McDonald’s when it was stolen, according to Megan Peters with the Bellingham Police Department.
Dispatchers received multiple reports of the vehicle traveling at high speeds and the driver making dangerous passes and passing on the shoulder while heading southbound on Interstate 5. The first call came in at 9:45 a.m., according to Trooper Kelsey Harding with the Washington State Patrol.
The driver crashed the Honda into a barrier on Skagit River Bridge around 9:52 a.m., and the vehicle spun several times, according to Harding. The crash occurred about 16 minutes after the car was stolen and more than 25 miles away.
Following the crash the vehicle was too damaged to operate, and Skinner attempted to flee the scene on foot. He was soon found running down the road by officers from the Burlington Police Department, Harding said.
Skinner reported feeling back pain and was taken to Skagit Valley Hospital. After being cleared from the hospital, he was turned over to the Bellingham Police Department. He was booked into Whatcom County Jail on March 18.
Skinner remains in custody. He was arrested on suspicion of first-degree theft and second-degree theft of a motor vehicle, according to Peters.
This story was originally published March 20, 2024 at 1:10 PM.
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