An 18-year-old Sequim man is charged with negligent driving and attempting to elude a police vehicle after a high-speed chase down Washington Street on June 20.
Sequim police said at about 5:10 a.m. officers spotted a car driven by Rafael Rayon-Vazquez going an estimated 50 mph in a 25-mph zone in the 300 block of West Washington Street.
An officer followed Rayon-Vazquez, with the police vehicle lights and sirens activated, and the driver sped up to 70 mph, police said.
As they approached the 1100 block of East Washington Street, Rayon-Vazquez stopped his car on the side of the road and got out of his car, complying with the officer?s commands to show his hands and lie on the ground, police said.
The officer requested Border Patrol aid to assist with the language barrier after Rayon-Vazquez continually repeated he didn’t speak English, police said.
Rayon-Vazquez initially refused to provide his name or date of birth so he was booked into the Clallam County jail under the name "John Doe" until officers were able to confirm his identity.
Through an interpreter, Rayon-Vazquez pleaded not guilty to the charges in Clallam County Superior Court on June 24. Trial is set for Aug. 3 and he remains in custody without bail. According to the online jail roster, Rayon-Vazquez also is being held on a Border Patrol detainer.