A broken taillight on a Toyota Tacoma set off a chase through Moscow that ended with a truck flipped in a ditch and a 39-year-old Lewiston man in handcuffs. Maxwell Pointon was arrested on felony eluding charges Thursday night after police say he sped through residential streets, crossed into oncoming lanes and hit speeds topping 80 mph before an officer forced his vehicle off the road.
Traffic Stop Turns Into Pursuit
According to court records cited by the Moscow-Pullman Daily News, a Moscow Police Department officer spotted the broken taillight on Pointon's Tacoma on West A Street and attempted to pull him over. Instead of stopping, Pointon allegedly accelerated away from the officer, kicking off a pursuit that started around 7 p.m. Thursday, according to the same court records. Pullman Radio similarly reported that the chase began when an officer tried to stop Pointon on the north side of town around 7 p.m. Thursday.
From there, the pursuit moved into Moscow's residential core. Court records state that Pointon drove 60 mph in a 30 mph zone on North Almon Street and swerved into the oncoming lane while doing it. He then reportedly held that same 60 mph pace down Mix Road before turning onto U.S. Highway 95, according to the court records, and sped through residential neighborhoods on Morton and North Polk streets, again driving into the oncoming lane.
Speeds Topped 80 MPH Heading Back Toward Moscow
Court records indicate Pointon then turned south and drove toward Moscow at more than 80 mph. Pullman Radio's report describes the chase reaching near the city limits before it came to an end, noting that the officer eventually executed a PIT maneuver outside the city that caused Pointon to lose control and roll his vehicle. Court records specify that the officer struck Pointon's vehicle on Foothill Road north of Moscow to attempt the precision immobilization technique, and that the officer's vehicle struck the Tacoma twice before the truck rolled over after hitting a ditch.
The Latah County Sheriff's Office responded to assist Moscow police during the pursuit, Pullman Radio reported. Once the truck came to rest, officers moved in and handcuffed Pointon. Court records state that Pointon told police they would have to shoot him during the encounter.
No Injuries Reported, Suspect Taken for Evaluation
Police reported no injuries from the rollover, and Pullman Radio likewise reported that Pointon was not hurt. Court records state Pointon was transported to Gritman Medical Center for evaluation before being taken to jail; he was ultimately booked into the Nez Perce County Jail on the felony eluding charge. Idaho law, per a statute excerpt from the Idaho State Legislature, makes it a misdemeanor for a driver to wilfully flee or attempt to elude a pursuing police vehicle after a visual or audible signal to stop, though that excerpt alone does not spell out how any felony-level provision might apply in Pointon's case.
Court records cited by the Daily News note that Pointon was convicted of felony eluding in 2025 and served a year in prison for that offense. It is not the only eluding case to hit Moscow police in recent memory: the same department separately arrested a 26-year-old Pasco man, Juan Valero, after he allegedly led a Latah County sheriff's deputy on a chase before stopping with two flat tires, according to Pullman Radio's report. In another incident recounted by the Lewiston Tribune, a dark sedan was clocked at 96 mph in a posted 45 mph zone on U.S. Highway 95 before accelerating past 100 mph, prompting officers to call off that pursuit over public-safety concerns.
