A Tuesday morning traffic stop near Moses Lake turned into a short police pursuit that ended in a crash with a power pole in Moses Lake North. MLPD had initially stopped a vehicle on Patton Boulevard at 8:15 a.m. pdt for a driver with an outstanding warrant.
The driver, identified as James Milner, 32 of Moses Lake had briefly stopped and reportedly told an officer
“I can’t go back to jail”
before speeding off from the traffic stop and heading northbound on Patton Blvd in Moses Lake North.
Moses Lake police says that Milner attempted to make a left turn onto Westover Boulevard at 60 mph and failed to turn, resulting in colliding with a power pole at the intersection, knocking the pole and power lines down cutting power to the Larson neighborhood for more than two hours.
MLWA 7 News sent out a traffic alert notification that the accident was affecting the morning commute for more than two and a half hours.
Original Post from the traffic alert:
Patton Blvd is CLOSED at the Westover intersection due to a collision involving a downed power line. Avoid the area if necessary and take alternative routes. According to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, a car hit a power pole just before 8:30 a.m. pdt Tuesday morning at the intersection of Patton Boulevard and Westover Boulevard, knocking out power for roughly 160 Grant PUD customers in the Larson neighborhood.
To get to Grant County International Airport and Big Bend Community College Take SR-17 North and take the Randolph Rd Exit
According to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office Patton Blvd will be CLOSED the next 2hrs
