Edward A. Power is brought before a judge in Lewis County Superior Court.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – He didn’t want to go to jail.
A man who allegedly sped away from an I-5 traffic stop at speeds as fast as 100 mph, continued driving after spike strips flattened all four of his tires, exited his van and jumped a guard rail near Chamber of Commerce Way, was tased by a trooper and taken into custody early yesterday morning.
Inside his van, he had left behind six passengers, which included three young children.
Edward A. Power, 44, was booked into the Lewis County Jail and charged today in Lewis County Superior Court with attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle.
Lewis County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher this afternoon asked a judge to set bail at $25,000, noting there was some confusion as to the man’s identity when he was arrested.
“It looks like he has criminal history in Georgia of theft and bail jumping,” Meagher said.
Temporary defense attorney Kevin Nelson appealed for a lower amount of bail, saying Power has an address on Mount Vista Road in Centralia.
While he’s self employed earning about $1,000 month, Nelson said, he supports his wife and six children on that income. Power qualified for a court appointed lawyer.
Judge Nelson Hunt set bail at $15,000.
The events began about 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday when a trooper approaching a construction zone on Interstate 5 near milepost 62 observed a northbound van passing vehicles on the shoulder, including the trooper’s, according to charging documents.
Charging documents continue, giving the following account of what transpired:
When pulled over, the trooper had him make arrangements for a licensed driver to pick up his vehicle, because neither he nor his adult female passenger produced a driver’s license, the documents relate. The trooper saw two teenage-looking children in the back seat.
The driver showed a plastic identification card from a Mississippi community college and eventually an ID card from Mississippi with the name Edward Power Jr.
The issue and expiration dates didn’t match information the trooper got back from that state’s department of licensing, and other information suggested Power was suspended in Pennsylvania.
When the trooper asked him to step out the vehicle, Power stated, “I am not going to jail,” put the van into drive and sped off.
A Lewis County sheriff’s deputy deployed spike strips near Chehalis’s Main Street interchange, and the van ran over them and slowed but didn’t stop.
The trooper, concerned about an upcoming second construction zone, performed a PIT maneuver, causing the vehicle to stop partly blocking one lane.
That’s when Power fled on foot. Charging documents indicate the trooper didn’t realize there were three young children in the far back seat during the initial encounter.
Power was transported to the hospital for unspecified medical clearance, before being booked into the Lewis County Jail.
His arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 11.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
How do you support eight people on $1,000 a month? They must eat a lot of instant noodles.
That is real strange , looser scum like this guy has a trump sticker ? welfare rats vote dem ? Must have been a normal person that works for a living stuck it on there as a JOKE ! Topical welfare rat , only looking out for themselves,to hell with the baby’s in the back of the van! ( and FYI if you can’t support your own children keep your pants up .
How do you know he had a Trump bumper sticker. Where did you see it?
Hunt gives this guy $15,000 bail for what he did, but if somebody gets caught with $20 of dope it’s at least double that! Get your priorities straight.
They forgot to mention the Trump sticker on his van. LOL
POS!
Uh yeah you are going to jail dumbass.