A Chehalis man is facing felony charges after allegedly attempting to elude a police vehicle after being spotted driving on the wrong side of the road in downtown Centralia.
When Nathan Lee Williams, 35, finally stopped, he reportedly told the officer he thought he was being chased, according to court documents.
The officer asked who was chasing him, and Williams said “you.”
Williams made his first appearance Thursday afternoon on one count of attempting to elude a police vehicle, a class C felony. Lewis County Judge Andrew Toynbee set his bail at $5,000.
According to court documents, a Centralia police officer responded at 11:20 p.m Wednesday to a report of a wrong way driver in the area of N. Tower Ave and Magnolia Street in Centralia.
Two women reportedly waved down the officer and pointed out the car driven by Williams, driving with no headlights and a flat tire, now going the correct direction on North Tower Avenue.
Williams then turned his blinker on when the uniformed officer turned on his emergency lights, but did not pull over, according to court documents.
He allegedly drove as much as 21 miles over the speed limit while being trailed by the officer to the 500 block of Railroad Avenue, where his car got stuck on the railroad tracks.
According to the probable cause statement prepared by the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office, Williams refused to perform field sobriety tests and an officer saw beer spilled inside the vehicle. The affidavit does not mention any charges related to alcohol or other intoxicants.
After Williams was placed under arrest, he waived his Miranda rights and, according to the probable cause affidavit, told the arresting officer that he was just out having fun on a dirt road and didn’t see the officer behind him. He then argued the officer didn’t turn his lights on until Williams had stopped on the tracks and accused the officer of entrapment.
