Man Arrested After High-Speed Pursuit On US HWYs 2 & 97

A man has been arrested after police say he led them on a dangerous high-speed pursuit through parts of Wenatchee and Southeastern Chelan County.

The Washington State Patrol says it happened Friday (March 20) and began at around 11 p.m. when officers with the Wenatchee Police Department attempted to stop a pickup truck that was observed driving recklessly through parking lots and on several primary roads within the city limits.

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After Wenatchee police called off their pursuit over concerns for public safety near Olds Station at just before midnight, troopers with the State Patrol then spotted the pickup on U.S. Highways 2 & 97 (US-2&97) near the Odabashian Bridge where they attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver continued to flee.

Trooper Jeremy Weber tells KPQ the chase reached speeds in excess of 100 mph in the highway's westbound lanes between Monitor and Peshastin, where the suspect vehicle briefly turned south on U.S. Highway 97 towards Blewett Pass before turning around and heading east on US-2&97.

The pursuit finally ended about a mile west of Cashmere after spike strips were successfully deployed which disabled the suspect's vehicle.

Police arrested the driver, 20-year-old Alessandro Blanco, and briefly detained two 17-year-old passengers prior to releasing them to their parents/guardians.

Blanco was booked into the Chelan County Regional Justice Center on two counts of both felony eluding and reckless endangerment.