Woman is charged in Port Angeles police pursuit
Published 10:55 am Wednesday, June 3, 2026
PORT ANGELES — A Port Angeles woman has been charged with attempting to elude a police vehicle, two counts of hit and run of an attended vehicle and first-degree criminal impersonation following a pursuit that lasted about 10 minutes and covered nine miles through Port Angeles.
Jensen Ann Gimlin, 27, was being held at the Clallam County Jail on Wednesday in lieu of $257,500 bond following her arrest on Sunday. She will be arraigned at 1 p.m. Friday before Judge Brent Basden in Clallam County Superior Court.
Attempting to elude a police vehicle and first-degree criminal impersonation are both Class C felonies punishable by a maximum of five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine. Hit and run of an attended vehicle is a gross misdemeanor punishable by a maximum of 364 days in jail or a $5,000 fine.
A Port Angeles police officer ran the license plate of a suspicious vehicle about 8 a.m. Sunday in the parking lot at Lincoln Park and found the registered owner had a warrant for DUI. When the officer approached the driver, Gimlin provided a false name, according to court documents.
When a second officer pulled into the parking lot a few minutes later, Gimlin began to back out with her vehicle. The first officer attempted to stop Gimlin and told her through an open driver’s side window that she was being detained, but Gimlin sped away north on L Street into the oncoming lane of travel, the court documents stated.
Gimlin turned onto West 18th Street and traveled eastbound at about 65 mph in a 30 mph zone, court documents stated. The police officer got permission from a sergeant to continue the pursuit, which continued through multiple stop signs and unmarked intersections.
Gimlin continued into the gravel on South A Street and turned into a dead-end alleyway. The police officer positioned their vehicle near the passenger side of Gimlin’s vehicle before she peeled out, hit the front bumper of the patrol car and drove northbound on South A Street, according to court documents.
The second police officer pursued Gimlin across West Eighth Street to South D Street, where Gimlin reportedly went up onto the curb and nearly struck a utility pole. From there, she returned to West Eighth Street and picked up speed, going about 89 mph in a 30 mph zone, court documents stated.
Gimlin drove around vehicles, passing in the oncoming lane, and ran red lights at Pine, Cherry, Lincoln, Peabody and Race streets, according to court documents. She turned right onto East First Street from the straight lane because the right-hand turn lane was occupied, and continued eastbound at about 65 mph, court documents stated.
Gimlin collided into the back left side of another vehicle just past Monroe Road on U.S. Highway 101, then nearly rear-ended another vehicle that was pulled to the side of the road near the intersection with Mount Pleasant Road, court documents stated.
The occupant in the vehicle that was struck was not injured and the collision was investigated by the State Patrol, said Jason Viada, the deputy police chief for the Port Angeles Police Department.
Just after the intersection at Highway 101 and Mount Pleasant Road, a police officer attempted a PIT maneuver, and the front right tire of Gimlin’s vehicle completely came off. Despite driving on three tires and a wheel rim, Gimlin continued on Highway 101 at about 50 mph, according to court documents.
At Morse Creek, a state trooper had a spike strip ready to deploy, but Gimlin turned right onto Cottonwood Lane and eventually turned into the driveway of a residence in the 700 block of Cottonwood Lane. She attempted to run to the front door of the residence but stopped when an officer said he would use a stun gun, according to court documents.
Gimlin was arrested and transported to the Clallam County Jail.
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Editor Brian McLean can be reached by email at brian.mclean@peninsuladailynews.com.
