A 25-year-old Seattle man was arrested after he allegedly led law enforcement on a chase on northbound I-5 early Tuesday morning that began in Bellingham and ended when the car he was driving struck a guardrail at about 110 mph near Blaine, authorities said.
“He crashed into a cement barrier as the road curved,” Blaine Police Chief Rodger Funk said of the incident that ended at the milepost 276 exit to Blaine.
Bellingham Police asked for help with the pursuit.
The driver was the only person in the vehicle, Blaine Police said in a post on Facebook. Crews from North Whatcom Fire and Rescue, also known as Fire District 21, took him to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center. He was later booked into Whatcom County Jail.
Here’s how events unfolded, according to Bellingham Police Lt. Claudia Murphy:
A Bellingham Police officer saw a 2026 black Toyota Camry merge onto northbound I-5 at Sunset Drive around 1:10 a.m. Tuesday. The driver, later identified as Dryw Thomas Hopps, was traveling at 90-plus mph and swerving across lanes.
The officer tried to pull over the driver, who reportedly continued to drive at speeds of more than 100 mph as he continued north on I-5 through Ferndale and Blaine. Several agencies, including the Washington State Patrol, Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office and Blaine Police, tried to end the pursuit with spike strips, but couldn’t because of the driver’s speed, according to Murphy.
Hopps lost control of the Camry and crashed into the left- and right-side Jersey barriers and stopped. He reportedly got out of the car, tried to escape but fell.
He was booked into jail on suspicion of driving under the influence and attempting to evade police.
Murphy said police found cans of alcoholic beverages in the vehicle as well as THC edibles and THC “dab pens” in the car.
