A Washington state man was arrested Sunday after allegedly leading state troopers on a high-speed chase with his dog sitting in the driver’s seat.
According to the Washington State Patrol, Alberto Tito Alejandro, 51, of Lakewood, Washington, hit two cars while being chased by police.
Alejandro, according to Washington state trooper Heather Axtman, was driving “absolutely recklessly” and was the subject of several 911 calls.
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At one point, the high-speed chase up Interstate 5 reached 109 miles per hour, she said.
When one of the troopers attempted to corner Alejandro’s car, he looked inside and realized a pit bull was sitting in the driver’s seat while the suspect steered, Axtman said.
Alejandro, according to Axtman, then drove onto Centennial Trail, a busy trail for pedestrians and cyclists in Snohomish County. Thankfully, no one was on the trail at the time.
Eventually troopers were able to use spike strips to end the pursuit. Alejandro, according to Axtman, gave police one explanation for the chaos: He was “trying to teach his dog how to drive.”
“I wish I could make this up,” Axtman said. “I’ve been a trooper for almost 12 years, and wow, I’ve never heard this excuse. I’ve been in a lot of high-speed chases, I’ve stopped a lot of cars, and never have I gotten an excuse that they were teaching their dog how to drive.”
Alejandro is charged with reckless endangerment, hit and run, driving under the influence and felony eluding. His bond was set at $8,500.
As for the dog, Axtman said the “very sweet girl” was taken to the animal shelter after her owner was arrested.
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