Multi-County Chase Ends in Lewis County—Classic Hits 100.7 KLOG News

There was a multi-county chase last evening that eventually ended with an impaired driver getting into a standoff with police on I-5 in Lewis County.

The Washington State Patrol’s Office reports that a vehicle initially fled from sheriff’s deputies yesterday up north in Mason County as they attempted a traffic stop. The suspect vehicle, a 2005 maroon Acura sedan, continued into Thurston County, where the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office initiated a pursuit, and the car went onto I-5 southbound.

Once in Lewis County, the Washington State Patrol’s Office took primary responsibility for the chase. Around milepost 71 in the Napavine area, a trooper was able to successfully deploy spike strips. The car then continued for about two miles on blown tires before striking a sign along the right shoulder of the freeway at milepost 69. The vehicle was then disabled, but the driver refused to exit and became barricaded inside.

The SWAT team was then called to the scene as a standoff followed. Both the northbound and southbound lanes of the freeway were shut down due to the situation, and there were major traffic backups reported. After several hours, the suspect, 51-year-old Heidi Presson of Hoodsport, was taken into custody sometime around 10:00 p.m. and taken to Providence Centralia Hospital.

Presson faces a slew of charges, including felony eluding, reckless driving, hit and run, resisting arrest, obstruction, and disorderly conduct. The State Patrol’s Office says that drugs or alcohol were involved and that the incident remains under investigation.