Seattle police chase reckless driver accused of inhaling whippits behind the wheel
Tacoma man charged in string of reckless driving pursuits
A Tacoma man accused of ramming a fire truck and leading police on multiple high-speed chases was arrested by Kent police and has pleaded not guilty to several felony charges.
SEATTLE - Dashcam video from Seattle police shows the lengths detectives say Zachary McCreary was willing to go to to avoid being arrested.
Police say the 38-year-old was wanted for ramming a fire engine with his vehicle after offering a "whippit" to a firefighter. Whippits, also known as canned nitrous oxide, has documented effects including hallucinations, loss of consciousness and feelings of euphoria.
During the chase on Aug. 3, his hand comes out the window, making gestures at the pursuing officers. He then swerves and brake checks them to prevent patrol vehicles from boxing him in.
Seconds later, the hand reappears, wagging a finger like, "No, no, no…" Despite the sheer brazenness, officers don't take the bait.
As the pursuit continues, he starts to pick up speed.
"Yeah, we're going southbound 170th and Aurora. We're going 70 miles per hour," said one of the pursuing officers.
As he continues to blow through intersections, they called off the pursuit to avoid endangering the public.
"When you see behavior like this it’s really troubling," said Casey McNerthey with the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors say McCreary also drove recklessly in Kent on June 24. He was seen blowing through traffic lights, weaving through traffic and endangering countless other drivers.
"What police and prosecutors can't figure out is the reason for this," McNerthey said.
McCreary was arrested on Aug. 6 while he was on his lunch break at his job in Fife. Kent police officers located a gun in his front pocket.
McCreary appeared in court this week, where he pleaded not guilty to six felony counts.
Judge Brian McDonald maintained McCreary's bail at $100,000, and ordered him not to drive without a valid license or insurance if he posts bail.
Prosecutors argued he is a flight risk after eluding police on three separate occasions.
Court documents show McCreary works for a freight forwarding company in Fife. That's where Kent police found the silver Honda with the rear bumper taped on. Turns out, he rented it after reporting to police that his own car was stolen. Inside, detectives recovered a purple whippit balloon from the center console. After his arrest, detectives say he invoked his right to remain silent.
Despite the video that police say shows him flaunting his freedom and putting other drivers in danger, McCreary has only one criminal conviction for drug possession in 2015, and he has no warrant history.
He does have a separate pending case for obstruction and is facing a misdemeanor charge for carrying a concealed pistol without a license.
The Source: Information in this story came from Kent and Seattle police, the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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