Man ‘Trying to Teach His Dog How to Drive’ Jailed After 109-MPH Police Chase
A Washington State Trooper got the surprise of his life when he saw a pit bull in the driver’s seat.
With the streets emptied by the coronavirus shutdown, some feel the time is right to live out their street racing fantasies. Others, such as one Lakewood, Washington man, see this as an opportunity to teach inexperienced drivers—in this case, a freaking dog—the ways of the road.
Authorities in Washington received multiple 911 calls reporting an "erratic" driver who had hit two cars, stopping on neither occasions to exchange information in neither crash, reports CNN. The Washington State Patrol intercepted the driver, who then attempted to outrun the State Troopers by driving his car, a Buick Park Avenue, "absolutely recklessly" as recalled by Trooper Heather Axtman, and forcing authorities to chase the sedan at speeds of up to 109 miles per hour.
Seeking to end the chase before it put the public at risk, a Trooper drew even with the sedan, and after a glance inside, noticed a pit bull in the driver's seat and its master steering the vehicle from the side. The suspect then attempted to shake their pursuers by veering onto a popular bike trail in Snohomish County, though because everyone in America is at home baking bread or building Lego Dodge Chargers, luckily there was nobody for the errant driver to hit.
"The fact that there wasn't anybody on the trail is nothing shy of miraculous," Trooper Axtman told CNN. "We are very thankful."
The WSP, at last, brought the chase to a halt with the deployment of spike strips, which a photo suggests sent the car careening into the bushes. During the arrest, the driver admitted he was "trying to teach his dog how to drive."
"I wish I could make this up," said Axtman. "I've been a trooper for almost 12 years, and wow, I've never heard this excuse. I've been in a lot of high-speed chases, I've stopped a lot of cars, and never have I gotten an excuse that they were teaching their dog how to drive."
Authorities jailed the man on charges of driving under the influence, felony eluding, hit and run, and reckless endangerment, setting a bond of $8,500 and a court date of March 30. The dog, a "very sweet girl, "was turned into a local animal shelter, though her condition was unreported.
The Drive reached out to the Washington State Patrol for additional information on the charges, and we will update when we receive a statement.
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