FORKS — A 20-year-old Forks man fled from a State Patrol trooper by jumping into the Sol Duc River after a routine traffic stop Thursday.
Dillan J.M. Klepps was eventually talked out of the river and arrested without further incident, the State Patrol said.
Trooper Krista Hedstrom, State Patrol spokeswoman, said Klepps was pulled over for having a cracked windshield and no front bumper on the vehicle he was driving on U.S. Highway 101 near Milepost 202 about 10 miles north of Forks.
The 9:49 a.m. traffic stop turned into a foot pursuit after Trooper Eric Tilton ran Klepps’ name into a law enforcement database.
Klepps had a Port Angeles police warrant for driving under the influence, Hedstrom said.
“When the trooper re-contacted the guy, he [Klepps] looked at him like: ‘I know you know I have a warrant,’” Hedstrom said.
“The guy took off running.”
Klepps was already out of his vehicle because of a dog he had with him, Hedstrom said.
Tilton was able to talk Klepps out of the river and arrest him on the shore, Hedstrom said, adding that the pursuit lasted about 12 minutes.
Klepps was booked into the Clallam County jail at 1:04 p.m. for investigation of failure to obey an officer, driving with a suspended license and two failure-to-appear warrants.
Hedstrom said Klepps’ father came to pick up the dog and the vehicle.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
