Police chase down "stolen" car

A Grand Coulee man driving a stolen vehicle at speeds up to 100 mph was finally stopped near Steamboat Rock State Park, police reported.

Christopher Peoples, 23, was seen driving near Pole Park Saturday, June 24, about 7 p.m., and refused to pull over, police said.

They tried to stop him as he turned onto Federal Avenue and then on a number of side streets before racing out of town on SR-155, police reported.

Police had gotten a call on the stolen vehicle from its owner, who said she was pursuing her black Nissan Murano and gave police the direction it was going.

Officer Chris McClanahan spotted the Nissan and gave chase through the streets of Grand Coulee, where the SUV reportedly sped through 20 mph streets at speeds over 60 mph, as people along the way pointed which way the Murano had turned.

McClanahan gave chase on the back road toward Delano and across a two-track private dirt road between Delano and Electric City.

Meanwhile, officer Dan Holland had questioned the owner of the car and then headed south on SR-155, looking for the vehicle.

He saw Peoples run off the roadway near Steamboat Rock State Park, then re-enter the roadway, this time heading north, meeting McClanahan as he straddled the centerline with the patrol car.

The Murano nearly ran McClanahan off the road, police said.

Officers caught up with the vehicle at milepost 17, where Peoples stopped and obeyed an order to “get on the ground.”

He told the officers that his pregnant girlfriend was in the vehicle. An ambulance was called to take both the pregnant woman and Peoples to the hospital. She said her stomach was hurt by the seat belt when the car had gone off road. Peoples complained of a head injury from hitting his head on the ceiling.

Peoples was arrested and later taken to Grant County jail, facing charges of attempting to elude police, violation of a protection order, possession of a stolen vehicle, reckless endangerment and driving while his license was suspended.