Wild Car Chase Ends on College Campus in Moses Lake

Grant County Sheriff's officials are still investigating what led a 48-year-old woman to lead them on a high speed chase that led officers all over Moses Lake, finally ending with spike strips and flattened tires on a dead end street.

Around 1:10PM last Sunday, a Grant County Deputy saw a car flash through a red light at the intersection of Highway 17 and Patton Boulevard. He gave chase, but the driver sped up, and refused to pull over.

The Deputy briefly lost the chase, but with the help of Moses Lake Police, the suspect vehicle was again spotted on Valley Road Northeast, again speeding very fast.

Finally after a meandering chase, spike strips were able to blow out two of the vehicle's tires, but the driver still continued pushing on. Finally, the pursuit was terminated when the suspect raced onto the campus of Big Bend Community College. They were trapped when they turned down a dead end street near the school's softball field. Officers were able to surround the car so there was no escape.

The driver, identified as Erika Dee Merrits of Moses Lake was arrested on felony charges of eluding an officer. No mention of any other charges, but pretty sure they are pending.

Authorities have not yet determined what led to the wild chase, or at least they haven't released more details. Fortunately, the campus  at Big Bend was vacant due to it being a Sunday, or serious issues could have developed.