PORT ANGELES — Two people fleeing law enforcement in a chase out of Olympic National Park involving a gold van were captured late Sunday night, but one more remained at large Monday evening.
The short-lived chase began as a routine traffic stop in national park jurisdiction, but the 2001 Chrysler Town and Country van drove away from a park ranger instead of stopping for him while leaving the Elwha River area.
Near the intersection of U.S. Highway 101 and Olympic Hot Springs Road, one passenger, identified Monday as Michael DeLauder, leaped from the van and began running, said Clallam County Sheriff’s Sgt. John Keegan.
The van continued about two miles at a high rate of speed west on U.S. Highway 101 and then south on Herrick Road, where it was driven into the backyard of a home — and the van’s occupants began their flight afoot.
The alleged driver of the van, Tasha Lester, was captured late Sunday.
Law enforcement teams searching for the fugitives were unaware of a third person.
Keegan said authorities later learned that a third person was also in the van and has not been found.
Neither a name nor description of that person was available Monday night.
Both Lester and DeLauder were arrested for investigation of marijuana possession.
At least two of the three people in the van were local residents, he said.
Neither Lester nor DeLauder was in custody Monday evening.
Lester was released on her own recognizance, and no charges or probable cause statement was available in court documents for DeLauder, so the status of any charges against him is unknown.
Lester’s arraignment is set for 1:30 p.m. Oct. 1.
“We have probable cause that all the parties involved knew that marijuana was in the vehicle and were willingly transporting it to another location,” Keegan said.
Because the incident began in Olympic National Park, authorities are determining whether the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office or the National Park Service will take the lead on the investigation, Keegan said.
“The investigation will be handled by the Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team because they have several representatives from all jurisdictions, including the county and the federal government,” he said.
“That way if down the line we find it will be better handled at the federal level rather than the state level, those investigators can take the information to the U.S. attorney.”
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
