Suspect crashes car while trying to flee State Patrol

An Oak Harbor man is accused of leading a Washington state trooper on a brief chase in a car full of drugs before crashing into a field and then being Tased, according to court documents.

Prosecutors charged Casey J. McDonald in Island County Superior Court July 22 with attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle and possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver.

A trooper wrote in a report on the chase that it started when he saw a Ford Explorer traveling 66 mph in a 55-mph zone on State Highway 20 near Coupeville. He attempted to pull the vehicle over, but it continued at speeds up to 110 mph.

The Explorer passed two cars in a no-passing zone, causing incoming cars to swerve out of the way, and then passed cars on the left from the turn lane at the intersection with Libbey Road, the trooper wrote.

In all, the Explorer passed seven cars in a no-passing zone.

The driver of the Explorer, later identified as McDonald, attempted a high-speed turn onto Arnold Road and crashed into a field, the report states. McDonald got out and started running away, but the trooper warned him to stop and then deployed a Taser, which ended the chase.

After obtaining a search warrant, investigators seized 291 grams of suspected meth, 134 grams of suspected heroin, 61 grams of suspected cocaine, pipes and a scale, the trooper wrote.

The trooper wrote that the amount of illegal substances suggested that it was for sale and distribution since “the average user consumes approximately 1-2 grams per day.”