Woman arrested after pursuit on I-90 into Post Falls

By BRIAN WALKER

Staff Writer

POST FALLS — A 41-year-old female who allegedly led two law enforcement agencies on a vehicle pursuit Monday night from Interstate 90 into Post Falls was arrested on multiple felony charges.

Michelle S. Rivera was booked into the Kootenai County Jail for eluding, obstruction and reckless driving.

The chase started on westbound Interstate 90 near the Huetter rest stop after 5 p.m. when an Idaho State Police trooper attempted to pull over a possible intoxicated driver in a silver 2015 Hyundai Elantra with Washington license plates, according to police reports.

Rivera reportedly exited at Highway 41, where Post Falls Police joined the pursuit, and headed southbound to Seltice Way.

"The driver stopped at a red light at East Seltice Way and North Herborn Place," Post Falls Officer Alexander Sporleder wrote in his report. "I used my (public address) system to give the driver a command to stop the vehicle and exit it. However, the driver failed to obey this command."

When the light turned green, Rivera allegedly continued westbound on Seltice before turning north on the access road between Seltice and Schneidmiller Avenue.

A Post Falls Police sergeant responded to the intersection of Graffiti Street and Schneidmiller in an attempt to control the direction of the chase.

The pursuit then went into the Yoke's Fresh Market grocery store parking lot on Seltice.

"The driver went around parked vehicles, and I attempted to intercept the vehicle by puling in front of it," Sporleder wrote. "However, the vehicle swerved to avoid me and exited the parking lot at a paved driveway, returning to a westbound path on East Seltice Way."

Rivera stopped at the light at Seltice and Idaho Street when the officer again attempted to pull in front of the Hyundai, but Rivera allegedly eluded police a second time before continuing westbound.

As the chase approached Spokane Street, an ISP trooper attempted to deploy a spike strip to stop Rivera, but she pulled into the White House Grill parking lot beforehand.

"However the vehicle got boxed in by parked vehicles and patrol vehicles," Sporleder wrote. "At that time, the driver exited the vehicle and was taken into custody by ISP without further incident."

PFPD added in an online comment: "Despite it ending at the White House, I don’t see a presidential pardon in her future."

Rivera was being held on a $60,000 bond on Wednesday.