A police chase through Oak Harbor today ended with a crash at the intersection of Crescent Harbor Road and Regatta Drive, the Island County Sheriff’s Office reported.
Deputies received a tip at 12:23 p.m. that a wanted man, 34-year-old Bryan McCord of Oak Harbor, was in the park-and-ride lot near the Liberty Market on State Highway 20.
The responding deputy identified McCord as the passenger in a 2003 Pontiac Sunfire coupe attempting to leave the parking lot. The deputy got out of his car and ordered the vehicle to stop. Instead, the driver accelerated and left the parking lot, heading toward Oak Harbor on State Highway 20, the sheriff’s office reported.
The deputy chased after the vehicle with lights flashing and sirens sounding. The Pontiac left the highway and continued on Regatta Drive. The deputy terminated the pursuit at that point because of the reckless nature the fleeing vehicle, the sheriff’s office reported.
The Pontiac, however, continued at a high rate of speed onto Torpedo Road, failed to yield and struck a 2017 Ford Explorer — driven by 34-year-old Nathan Howat — at the intersection with Crescent Harbor Road, according to the Washington State Patrol
The driver of the Pontiac, 31-year-old Brandon Roth of Spanaway, and McCord ran away from the scene but were apprehended a short time later, the sheriff’s press release states.
McCord, Roth and Howat suffered minor injuries, the State Patrol reported.
Officers saw what appeared to be a large quantity of narcotics in the Pontiac, the release states. Detectives obtained search warrants on the Pontiac and another car McCord was seen with earlier.
Just under 60 grams of suspected methamphetamine and a fentanyl patch were located during the investigation; it appeared the drugs were discarded as the two suspects fled the scene, according to the press release.
McCord was wanted on an arrest warrant from the sheriff’s office on a meth-possession case; he was also wanted on a Department of Corrections warrant, according to Sheriff Mark Brown.
Roth was arrested on suspicion of hit and run, attempting to elude, driving with a suspended license and a drug possession, according to the Island County jail roster.
A judge in Island County Superior Court set McCord’s bail at $175,000 and Roth’s bail at $75,000.
