UPDATED: Suspect in custody after high-speed chase, ramming police vehicle


The chase ended with a crash on SR-14 Thursday afternoon

UPDATE: On Sept. 21, Vernon L. Shelton, 43, was booked into the Clark County Jail on charges stemming from this incident. Shelton was booked for Assault, 2nd Degree and Eluding, both felony offenses. Shelton also had a misdemeanor warrant for Driving with a Suspended License, 3rd Degree.  Additional misdemeanor charges of Reckless Driving and Driving with a Suspended License, 3rd Degree were referred.

VANCOUVER — The driver of an older red Acura is in police custody after attempting to elude an officer and ramming his patrol car on SR-14 yesterday afternoon. 

According to a release from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), a detective radioed at 4:34 p.m. that he was attempting to stop a vehicle driving recklessly on SR-14 eastbound.  

Photo courtesy of WSDOT
Photo courtesy of WSDOT

The vehicle was clocked going over 100 mph while weaving between lanes. The detective activated his patrol car’s emergency lights and attempted to stop the vehicle, which continued east on SR-14, taking the 6th Street Exit in Camas.  

The vehicle then abruptly reversed course and drove west on SR-14 at a high rate of speed.  The detective continued to follow the vehicle to the area of NE 192nd Avenue. 

Due to the ongoing danger, the detective notified dispatch he was slowing down and discontinuing the pursuit. At that moment, the suspect vehicle also slowed and swerved into the path of the patrol vehicle.

The detective attempted to avoid the collision, but his car was struck by the suspect’s vehicle, which then caused the suspect to lose control and slide off the roadway on the north side of SR-14.  

The suspect, a white adult male, fled on foot into the Cadman, Inc. rock quarry on the north side of SR-14.  The suspect was located  and arrested after a successful track by Vancouver Police Department K9, Ivar.  

He was taken to an area hospital with unspecified injuries that were not life threatening, according to a release by CCSO.

The suspect is not being identified at this time, due to an ongoing investigation. The CCSO detective was not injured in this collision and his patrol vehicle suffered only minor damage. No suspects remain outstanding in this case.

Information provided by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office