Teen caught going 110 mph on Highway 240. He was heading to court
An 18-year-old is in more trouble after going 110 mph on Highway 240 in Richland trying to get to court, say police.
Isaiah T. Hanes of Pasco was apparently rushing at 7:30 a.m. to get to a hearing in Benton County District Court on Sept. 12, when a Richland officer allegedly spotted him drive across several lanes of traffic, court documents said.
The white BMW with a broken right headlight was speeding 110 mph, court documents said. When the officer signaled for the driver to stop, the BMW continued.
As he raced through the morning traffic on the highway, Hanes allegedly weaved between cars and cut off other drivers to avoid being caught, said police.
The Richland officer stopped chasing him, but had enough information to track the car to its registered owner, Hanes’ mom, in Pasco.
When police spoke with her, she said her son used the car, but said that he was in court, court documents said. She believed his friend was driving.
The Richland officer found Hanes in a courtroom. He initially said he wasn’t driving, but security video from the justice center parking lot showed him getting out of the driver’s side of the car.
He was out on custody on $500 bail for operating a vehicle while drunk as a minor on May 3.
Hanes now faces a felony charge of attempting to elude police. Prosecutors asked for $5,000 in bail, but his defense attorney Scott Rodgers requested he be released.
Rodgers pointed out that Hanes’ parents are selling the car, and the teen has lived in the Tri-Cities all his life.
Judge Joe Burrowes ruled that Hanes appears to have broken the terms of his release, which includes staying out of trouble.
“Further, the court will find that he is a substantial danger to the community,” Burrowes said. “Therefore, the court is concerned to the extent that he will continue to drive recklessly under the influence, and therefore, he is a danger to the community.”
Burrowes set his bail at $25,000.
This story was originally published September 18, 2025 at 1:42 PM.