A 48-year-old Oak Harbor woman is facing charges after allegedly leading a trooper on a car chase from Deception Pass to the city of Oak Harbor in the afternoon of June 9, court documents state.
Prosecutors charged Diana Statt in Island County Superior Court June 14 with attempting to elude a pursuing vehicle, driving under the influence and reckless endangerment.
Trooper Jason Scott with the Washington State Patrol wrote in his report on the incident that he was attempting to overtake a speeder near Deception Pass Bridge, but another car — allegedly driven by Statt — wouldn’t get out of his way. He eventually was able to pass Statt’s car and pulled the speeder over.
Scott then saw Statt driving past him on Highway 20 and signaled for her to pull over, but she ignored him, the report states. The trooper hopped back into his car and sped after her.
Scott caught up to Statt’s car near the intersection with Troxell Road, but she refused to pull over even though he had his lights and sirens activated. The trooper chased the car at speeds up to 80 mph, according to the police report.
The chase continued into Oak Harbor, onto Ault Field Road and Heller Road. The troopers and other law enforcement that joined him terminated the high-speed pursuit when they saw students on the road shoulder. But they continued following her at the speed limit and eventually blocked Statt in a residential neighborhood, the report states.
After she was arrested, she failed field sobriety tests performed by a trooper who’s certified as a drug recognition expert, the report states.