Man drove wrong way down one-way street in attempt to elude officers, Bellingham police say
A man who allegedly attempted to evade police vehicles in Bellingham is facing charges of reckless driving and attempting to elude law enforcement.
A witness reported to police that the suspect was getting in and out of the vehicle while in traffic around 11 p.m. Sunday, March 9 near Prospect Street. When officers caught up with the vehicle near Lottie Street, the driver turned north onto Commercial Street and drove away, according to Lt. Claudia Murphy with the Bellingham Police Department.
Police turned on their lights and sirens to pull over the suspect, later identified as Samule G. Woldemariam, 30, but he ignored the signals and continued to drive at high speeds, Murphy said.
Woldemariam turned onto H Street, heading the wrong way on the one-way street, and evaded pursuing officers, according to Murphy.
Police located the vehicle parked on Irving Street, with the suspect sitting in the driver’s seat. He was taken into custody without incident, according to court records.
An officer at the scene reported Woldemariam showed signs of being under the influence of a controlled substance, according to Murphy.
He has been charged with attempting to elude a police vehicle, a class C felony, and reckless driving, a gross misdemeanor. He is currently out of custody of Whatcom County Jail.
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