Grant County Police Chase Ends In Arrest Of Ephrata Man

An Ephrata man is in jail after leading police on a lengthy vehicle pursuit in Grant County on Tuesday morning.

The Grant County Sheriff's Office reports it began around 11 a.m. when a deputy approached a running vehicle at the entrance to the Ephrata gun club just off State Route 282 and Airport Street Southeast.

Sheriff's spokesperson, Kyle Foreman, says the deputy discovered the driver was passed out at the wheel and had drug paraphernalia in his hands.

"The person was unconscious and initially didn't wake up when the deputy tried to wake him. Eventually the driver did wake up, took one look at the deputy, put the car in gear and drove away."

Thirty-nine-year-old Christopher E. Smith then led police on a pursuit that covered over fifteen miles of county roads.

"The speeds during the chase ranged upwards of sixty miles per hour and he (Smith) was all over the road."

The chase ended when deputies managed to corral Smith on a dead-end road near Roads 5 Northwest and G Northwest.

Smith was booked into the Grant County Jail for investigation of failure to stop or obey a police officer, driving under the influence, failure to stop at a stop sign, and attempting to elude police.

Foreman says a total of eleven law enforcement vehicles were involved in the pursuit, including nine from the sheriff's office and two from the Ephrata Police Department.