A Chelan man is facing charges after deputies say he sped away from a traffic stop at speeds between 80 and 100 miles per hour, abandoned his vehicle on Beebe Bridge, and jumped into the Columbia River in an attempt to escape arrest. The man was later located near Chelan Falls Park after allegedly admitting he had entered the river from the bridge, and he was arrested on suspicion of both attempting to elude a police vehicle and driving under the influence.
According to NCW Life, the pursuit began when a Chelan County Sheriff's Office deputy spotted a vehicle traveling at that high rate of speed on East Woodin Avenue before it entered Highway 97 and failed to yield to the deputy's signal. The vehicle eventually crossed the Columbia River from Chelan County into Douglas County, where deputies found it empty and abandoned on Beebe Bridge, a 1,040-foot steel tied-arch span built between 1959 and 1963 that carries U.S. Route 97 across the river, according to background compiled by Wikipedia.
Per the same account, the vehicle's registered owner, identified as the man's wife, told authorities she was concerned her husband may have entered the river from the bridge. Deputies said the alleged driver was ultimately located near Chelan Falls Park, downstream along Lake Entiat, a Columbia River reservoir formed by Rocky Reach Dam, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The report notes he admitted to jumping from the bridge into the water.
Signs of Impairment Led to Blood Draw
The sheriff's office news release, as reported by the same outlet, said the deputy who first stopped the vehicle noticed indicators consistent with possible alcohol impairment. Authorities obtained a search warrant to collect a blood sample from the man, which was submitted for testing, though results were not available in the initial report. He was transported for medical evaluation after being located.
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office and the Washington State Patrol both assisted in locating the alleged driver, underscoring the multi-jurisdictional response the case required once the pursuit crossed county lines. The man now faces suspicion of attempting to elude a police vehicle and driving under the influence, though it remains unclear whether prosecutors will pursue additional enhancements or when he is expected to make a court appearance.
What the Charges Could Mean
Attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle is classified as a Class C felony under Washington law, carrying up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, according to RCW 46.61.024. If prosecutors determine that the 80-to-100 mph driving on East Woodin Avenue put other motorists at risk, they could also file a special allegation of endangerment by eluding under RCW 9.94A.834, which would add a mandatory 12 months and one day to any felony sentence. Separately, a first-offense DUI in Washington is a gross misdemeanor under RCW 46.61.502, carrying mandatory minimums that include at least 24 consecutive hours in jail, fines up to $5,000, and license suspension.
The pursuit itself was made possible under Washington's restored vehicular pursuit standard. Initiative 2113, passed by the state legislature in March 2024, lowered the threshold for police pursuits back to reasonable suspicion that a driver has violated any law, reversing a stricter 2021 rule that had limited chases to specific violent crimes. Lawmakers are also weighing further changes: Senate Bill 5333, introduced during the 2025–2026 legislative session, would mandate electronic monitoring, vehicle impoundment, and potential forfeiture for people charged with eluding police, reflecting ongoing debate over how aggressively the state should crack down on fleeing drivers.
A Dangerous Stretch of River
The stretch of the Columbia between Beebe Bridge and Chelan Falls Park is a heavily used public area for boating and salmon fishing, and it sits near Beebe Bridge Park, where Washington State Parks integrated online reservations onto its statewide booking platform earlier this year while Chelan County PUD continues to maintain the park's boat ramps and campgrounds. Jumping from the bridge into the river's current carried significant physical risk regardless of the outcome of the pursuit.
The incident adds to a string of recent public safety responses in the Chelan Valley. Hoodline previously reported that Chelan County deputies investigated a July incident in which a driver died after his pickup went off Old Gorge Road and plunged 500 feet into the Chelan River, and in May, deputies responded to a shooting in downtown Chelan's Riverwalk area that led to the arrest of a 14-year-old suspect. No update on the blood test results, formal charges, or the man's court appearance has been released.
