Asotin man faces felony charges after high-speed chase

A 19-year-old Asotin man has been charged with two felonies after an alleged high-speed pursuit last week that injured the Orofino chief of police.

Mason P. Cox was charged with attempting to elude and aggravated assault for allegedly almost hitting Orofino Police Chief Vincent Frazier with his vehicle in a pursuit. He was also charged with misdemeanor driving without privileges.

Cox made his initial appearance Friday before Magistrate Judge Sunil Ramalingam on Zoom at the Nez Perce County Courthouse.

Court documents also stated Cox has a felony conviction for assault in the second degree and in October made statements to police “that he was going to elude officers and have a shoot out with police.” In Nez Perce County, he also has a reckless driving charge from October and was sentenced in November with a 30-day driver’s license suspension, according to court documents.

The Nez Perce County Prosecutor’s Office stated he presents a risk to the community and to officers and requested a $150,000 bond, which was granted by Ramalingam, according to court documents.

The incident started at 11:52 a.m. Thursday on U.S. Highway 12 near Arrow Bridge. A trooper with Idaho State Police saw a blue 2006 Ram 2500 drive eastbound at a speed of 68 mph in a 55 mph zone. The trooper activated his emergency lights but the vehicle, allegedly driven by Cox, didn’t slow down, according to the probable cause affidavit.

The trooper then followed and tried to catch up with the vehicle. The trooper noticed the driver’s alleged reckless and aggressive behavior, including passing on double-yellow lines and in the median near the junction of Gifford Reubens Road. At Cherrylane, the trooper caught up with Cox and allegedly found him driving at speeds of 100 mph in a 55 mph zone, according to the probable cause affidavit.

The trooper contacted the Clearwater County Sheriff’s Office to request spikes when the Ram entered Clearwater County. The trooper continued his pursuit until the Nez Perce-Clearwater county line, alleging that the driver was going at speeds between 80 and 110 mph and repeatedly passed in no-passing zones and drove left of center, according to the affidavit.

Near the county line, two law enforcement officers arrived driving westbound with their emergency lights on, then came to a stop. The trooper in pursuit slowed down to attempt to influence the driver of the vehicle to slow down, but instead the vehicle continued at a high rate of speed. The officers left their vehicles to deploy spikes and the trooper alleged that he saw the Ram drive toward the law enforcement vehicles, crossing the center line and entering the westbound lane into a turnout where the officers were. The Ram allegedly narrowly missed Frazier, who was deploying spikes, according to the affidavit.

The police vehicle then skidded across the road and came to rest in the eastbound lane facing west. The Ram “appeared to leave the ground” and then landed upside down in the Clearwater River. Debris from the wreck struck Frazier in the lower leg and he was later taken to the hospital where he was treated and released, according to the affidavit.

The trooper heard “screams for help” coming from the Ram in the Clearwater River. The trooper went down an embankment and allegedly saw Cox coming out of the driver’s side window. Cox was ordered to raise his hands and come to shore, which he did, and then he was handcuffed. He told law enforcement that no one else was in the vehicle. He also told law enforcement he was injured on “his body.” Cox was taken to Clearwater Valley Hospital, where he was treated and released, according to the affidavit.

The maximum penalty for eluding is five years in prison as well as a $50,000 fine and a mandatory driver’s license suspension of 1-3 years. The maximum penalty for aggravated assault is five years in prison as well as a $5,000 fine, according to court documents.

The law office of Magyar, Rauch and Associates was appointed as public defender. Cox’s next court date is set for Monday.

Brewster may be contacted at kbrewster@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2297.