Suspected DUI Driver Arrested After Multi-Agency Pursuit Ends at County Line
A multi-agency vehicle pursuit of a suspected impaired driver ended directly on the Clallam-Jefferson county line on Tuesday afternoon after law enforcement executed a tactical maneuver to stop a stolen work truck.
The driver, identified by authorities as Martin Swagerty, was taken into custody following the chase.
Clallam County Sheriff Brian King told me that Swagerty is currently under arrest and is being investigated on suspicion of Driving Under the Influence, Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, and additional charges.
The incident began Tuesday afternoon when Clallam County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a traffic complaint regarding a suspected DUI driver.
The reporting party provided the vehicle’s license plate number, allowing authorities to discover the vehicle—a red Dodge work truck—had been reported stolen to the Port Angeles Police Department.
Deputies intercepted the truck on eastbound State Route 101 and activated their lights and sirens, but the driver failed to yield and continued eastbound through Sequim.
At approximately 3:05 p.m., a barrage of sirens was heard passing 7 Cedars. Witnesses reported that the pursuit involved at least nine police vehicles from multiple jurisdictions, including the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office and the Sequim Police Department.
According to Sheriff King, pursuit speeds were not excessive. However, because the vehicle was stolen and the driver was operating the truck as though he was impaired, supervisors authorized the use of a P.I.T. maneuver to end the chase.
To perform a P.I.T. maneuver, a pursuing officer aligns their patrol car alongside the target vehicle, positioning their front bumper just behind the fleeing vehicle’s rear wheel.
The officer matches the vehicle’s speed and gently steers into its rear quarter panel, occasionally applying slight acceleration. This lateral contact creates a yaw moment—a torque around the vehicle’s vertical axis—which causes the target vehicle to spin and come to a halt.
Law enforcement successfully executed the maneuver around milepost 275 on SR 101, stopping the truck directly on the county line, where Swagerty was apprehended.
The conclusion of the pursuit caused temporary disruptions for Tuesday afternoon commuters. Eastbound traffic on SR 101 was stopped at the scene for 10 to 15 minutes, resulting in a backup that stretched for over a mile.
Sheriff King stated that the investigation remains active and the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office expects to issue a formal press release once more information becomes available.