PORT ANGELES — After allegedly dodging police pursuers three times Tuesday afternoon, a 39-year-old Port Angeles man was arrested after his pickup truck drove into a ditch and rolled over on Deer Park Road east of town, trapping him inside.
Clallam County sheriff’s deputies initially tried to pull over Jeffrey Howard Smith, 39, after a woman called law enforcement to report he had allegedly violated a court-issued protection order, said Clallam County Sheriff’s Sgt. Don Kelly.
Deputies first spotted Smith west of Port Angeles, Kelly said, but Smith refused to pull over and weaved in and out of traffic and across the centerline to elude police.
The chase lasted until Smith crossed into Port Angeles city limits, where deputies abandoned the chase for safety reasons.
PA police assist in chase
Assisted by Port Angeles police, Smith was then spotted in the east part of town before making a run eastbound on First Street, Kelly said.
Officers lost sight of Smith again, but the woman who originally called police gave officers information on where they could find Smith, so deputies began searching those areas.
Deputies located Smith again on Deer Park Road east of town and restarted the pursuit.
Smith spotted a set of spikes laid on Deer Park Road by officers and turned around, heading back toward Highway 101.
But before Smith could reach the highway, a second set of spikes was laid on the road. Smith attempted to avoid the spikes by driving in a roadside ditch, Kelly said, but the truck flipped several times.
“One front tire caught the spike strips, but the ditch caused the accident,” Kelly said.