A Vancouver man was arrested late Monday evening after leading police on a high-speed chase through Happy Valley — and getting run over by his own car.
Isaiah John Gellatly, 31, is the suspect in the robbery of a vehicle parked outside of a home in the 11000 block of SE Cedar Way in Happy Valley. The suspect fled the scene, but a vehicle matching the description of the getaway vehicle was found nearby a few minutes later — at approximately 11:12 p.m. Gellatly was in the driver’s seat, lying fully reclined, and a large pile of suspected stolen belongings were visible in the backseat.
When Gellatly saw the police flashlights, he sat up, put the car in gear and peeled away from the scene. Deputies pursued him to Sunnyside Road, where spike strips had been set up, which Gellatly ran over. Despite the punctured tires, police allege he continued to lead them on a high speed chase, driving increasingly more erratically.
“He repeatedly blew through stop signs and crossed over into the opposing lane of traffic during the high-speed pursuit,” a press release from the sheriff’s office says. “Gellatly finally turned into a business complex around SE 101st and Sunnyside. He was now having difficulty controlling his vehicle, hitting curbs and retaining walls (and, at one point, the bumper of a pursuing patrol car).”
Gellatly bailed out of the vehicle, but left it in drive, still rolling. He attempted to cut in front of the car — at the same time it crashed into the office. The suspect was hit as well, and was pinned underneath.
“He was hit by his own car,” one of the officers can be heard saying in the video of the incident that was released by police.
Deputies used a car jack to lift the car off of Gellatly prior to the arrival of emergency medical technicians. He was transported to OHSU with a broken leg.
Deputies found numerous items inside the vehicle believed to be stolen property, including a tennis racket, a Ping-Pong paddle, a Texas Instruments calculator, designer sunglasses and a Schwinn scooter. As of today, the sheriff’s office has contacted two victims and reunited them with stolen items taken from their vehicles.
Gellatly was booked at the Clackamas County Jailafter being released from the hospital. He has been charged with two counts of attempting to elude an officer, two counts of unlawful entry into a motor vehicle and one count each of reckless driving and second-degree theft.
