Man shoots self in chase with Washington State Patrol
Apr 10, 2012, 5:48 AM | Updated: 7:44 am
Trooper Keith Leary says the man was driving a van at nearly 100 miles per hour. (Image courtesy Washington State Patrol)
(Image courtesy Washington State Patrol)
The Washington State Patrol is investigating why a speeding driver who was being chased shot and killed himself in Bellingham.
Trooper Keith Leary says the man was driving a van at nearly 100 miles per hour about 1:20 a.m. Tuesday on Interstate 5 when the trooper tried to pull him over.
After the northbound van exited at Slater Road, trooper Keith Leary says a local officer prepared to thrown down a spike strip.
“But prior to the van hitting the spike strips, the van came to a stop. The male driver took a .40 caliber handgun, put it in his chest and pulled the trigger,” said Leary.
The man died at the scene.
Leary says the 33-year-old Sammamish man was driving with a suspended license and had a liquor bottle in the front seat.
A fleeing van near the Canadian border raises the question of possible drug smuggling, but Leary says there was no visible evidence of a large amount of drugs in the van.
“Right now I’m not sure if there’s any outstanding warrants, there’s going to be some things that we’re looking at as to why he was running,” said Leary.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
