Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
DAVENPORT — A trial date has been set for a man accused of trying to elude police while allegedly high one marijuana and drunk.
William Ray Beaver Jr., 35, of Spokane, will be tried at 9 a.m. Dec. 18 in Lincoln County Superior Court; a readiness hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Nov. 26. By court order, he will be fully restrained during court proceedings.
He currently remains in the county jail on $5,000 bail; attorney David Hearrean has been appointed as his public defender.
Beaver was arrested Oct. 31 in Davenport following a warrant in connection with an Oct. 26 incident in Lincoln County.
According to court records, deputies spotted a westbound car speeding on U.S. Highway 2 near Ziemer Road; radar confirmed the vehicle was traveling at 80 mph.
Deputies pursued the vehicle and attempted a traffic stop, records show. The driver entered the Davenport city limits at approximately 90 mph, and accelerated to as fast as 100 mph.
As the chase continued through the vicinity of the Telford Rest Area toward Creston, where Deputy Christian deployed spike strips, which punctured two tires on the car, records show. The vehicle went off the roadway near Roby Road and continued driving through a field.
At one point, the driver, later identified as William R. Beaver, stopped, then resumed, eventually crashing off a short ridge, records show. Beaver and his passenger Mary J.T. Smith, 42, were removed from the vehicle by deputies.
The vehicle caught fire, records show, noting Beaver, who refused to provide his name, started complaining of injuries and a heart condition.
Once the fire was extinguished, deputies located numerous pipes, drug paraphernalia and a white crystal substance believed to be methamphetamine in the car, records show. In addition, a THC beverage was found in the vehicle.
Beaver was transported to Lincoln County Hospital in Davenport and Smith was provided a courtesy ride to the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, where she was released.
After being released from the hospital, Beaver was booked into the county jail, where he remains.
Roger Harnack is the owner/publisher of Free Press Publishing. Having grown up Benton City, Roger is an award-winning journalist, photographer, editor and publisher. He's one of only two editorial/commentary writers from Washington state to ever receive the international Golden Quill. Roger is dedicated to the preservation of local media, and the voice it retains for Eastern Washington.
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