KENNEWICK — A West Richland man is accused of leading police on a three-highway chase that ended with a flaming asphalt truck and the shutting down on the eastbound lanes of Interstate 90.
Lance Rogers, 31, allegedly broke into a Washington State Department of Transportation shed in Washtucna about 7:15 a.m. Tuesday and stole an asphalt truck, WSDOT said on social media.
Police chased the truck on Highway 26 to Highway 261 and then on Interstate 90, according to an Adams County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post. Washtucna is about 28 miles south of Ritzville.
Along the way, Rogers pointed a gun out the window of the stolen truck, the sheriff’s office said.
Police used spike strips to puncture the truck’s tires to stop it on I-90 about five miles east of Ritzville.
During the chase the truck overheated and it burned dramatically after it was stopped.
Rogers’ arrest and the fire forced the eastbound lanes of the interstate to be closed to traffic for about an hour.
Sheriff’s investigators said Rogers is a suspect in several crimes including a drive-by shooting.
Public records show Rogers has some misdemeanor history in Yakima County, including driving without a license and negligent driving. He’s lived in Yakima, Richland and West Richland, records show.
The Washington State Patrol and the sheriff’s office are investigating the theft and chase.
