10/30/09 1000 hours
Contact: Charlotte Hinderlider
(509) 836-6222 office (509) 307-3826 cell
Sunnyside Police Department Main Number (509) 837-2120
Sunnyside Police Looking for Eluding Driver
Sunnyside, WA- Just after 11pm last night Sunnyside Police Officer TJ Orth initiated a traffic stop in the 800 block of 4th St in Sunnyside. The vehicle, a dark blue 1990 Honda Accord had defective brake lights. Upon seeing the emergency lights the vehicle accelerated away from Officer Orth. The suspect vehicle then traveled at a high rate of speed through the stop sign at Lincoln Avenue and S. 4th street and turned east bound onto Lincoln Avenue. The suspect vehicle then turned south bound on 4th Street sliding sideways and proceeded south bound on S. 4th Street at speeds of 80 mph. The Honda then failed to stop at the stop sign at South Hill road and turned west bound on South Hill road. The suspect vehicle accelerated to approximately 55mph driving in the oncoming lane. The suspect vehicle traveled through the stop sign at South Hill Road and 1st Street without stopping and turned southbound on 1st street reaching speeds of 60 mph. The suspect vehicle then turned west bound onto Emerald Rd.
The driver proceeded westbound on Emerald Rd at speeds of approximately 85 mph. The suspect vehicle then began driving more erratically and reached speeds of 100 Mph. The suspect vehicle turned northbound onto North Grape road and proceeded through the paved orchard road at 60 mph. The suspect vehicle turned on a gravel road on the top of the hill and began traveling north east at speeds of 60 mph causing the vehicle to slide at times. The suspect vehicle regained control and headed southbound nearly striking the pursuing police vehicle. Once the driver saw Officer Rob Layman’s vehicle also in pursuit he once again turned at a high rate of speed headed down the hill and started eastbound on Gap Rd.
The driver was traveling at speeds of approximately 75 mph as he approached the stop sign at S Lester Rd and Gap Rd. He went through the stop sign at approximately 40 mph causing the vehicle to slide sideways as he proceeded northbound on S Lester Rd. The driver took a gravel canal road and proceeded traveling at speeds of approximately 55- 60 mph. The driver then turned westbound on Yakima Valley Hwy only to turn on another gravel road approximately 300 yards after reaching Yakima Valley Hwy. The driver then turned eastbound onto Outlook Rd traveling at approximately 85 miles per hour. The driver then turned northbound on N. Lester Rd and reached speeds of 110 mph on the gravel road. Once N Lester came to a dead end the driver turned east bound onto a dirt road next to a canal. The vehicle reached a large bump in the road and the vehicle went air born and landed back on the ground continuing its easterly direction of travel. The vehicle began blowing clouds of black smoke, after turning southbound on Maple Grove the vehicle came to a stop in a cloud of smoke. The two occupants of the vehicle exited the vehicle and fled on foot. Officer Orth caught the passenger and took him into custody at that time. Ruben Roman was transported to the Sunnyside City Jail on an outstanding felony warrant and new charges of Resisting Arrest.
With assistance from Sgt. Kent Coffman, Officer Rob Layman, Officer Darin Scott and Yakima County Sheriff’s Deputies a perimeter was set up to look for the driver in the grape field that the driver, Augustine Jaime Avalos, fled into. The attempt to locate Avalos was unsuccessful. Sunnyside Police Officers are currently looking for Avalos.
Suspect Information:
Avalos, Augustine Jaime
DOB 05/22/1976
City of Residence: Sunnyside
Charges: Rcw.46.61.024, Attempt to elude pursuing marked police vehicle
Rcw.46.20.342.1B, driving while license suspended 2nd degree
Roman, Ruben
DOB 04/13/1979
City of Residence: Sunnyside
Charges: Resisting Arrest 9A.76.040
Outstanding Arrest Warrant
Additional Information:
· This is Sunnyside Police Department case number 09-10385.
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