Fall City man dies after jumping in creek to avoid the law


March 14, 2012 · 8:57 AM

A 31-year-old Fall City man went into cardiac arrest and died Friday, March 9, as he was being transported to an Issaquah hospital. The man had been rescued from Tokul Creek, where he'd been stuck on a log jam for about 25 minutes, in an attempt to flee arrest.

The incident began at 8:20 a.m., when a Snoqualmie police officer began following the man's vehicle on Mill Pond Road and then north onto S.R. 202. The officer pulled the vehicle over after observing it following another vehicle too closely.

The driver stopped the car near the entrance to the Snoqualmie Valley Rifle Range on Fall City-Snoqualmie Road, then fled the car on foot. There were three passengers in the vehicle, so the officer called for backup and stayed with the passengers until backup arrived and he could continue his pursuit.

Soon, the pursuing officer heard the man calling for help, and found him stuck on a log jam. He called the Snoqualmie Fire Department, which extracted the man from the log jam after a few attempts. They estimate he'd been in the water for 25 minutes.

The man had an outstanding felony arrest warrant. One of the passengers was arrested on a misdemeanor warrant, and the other two passengers were released and given a ride home.

 

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