DUI suspect evades police while driving on wrong side of Interstate-90

Spokane County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man Thursday morning who was suspected of driving the wrong way on Interstate 90, failed to realize he was being pursued by patrol cars and nearly hit other cars.

Nobody was hurt, and the man is facing a DUI charge and attempting to allude police.

Simon Y. Pavlov, 56, was allegedly driving a white Toyota Camry east in the westbound lanes of I-90 near the Medical Lake exit at 3:45 a.m., when a Sheriff’s deputy spotted him, according to a news release.

The deputy “had to use evasive maneuvers to avoid a head-on collision,” and turned on his lights and sirens. He turned the patrol car around and pulled along Pavlov’s car, both traveling in the wrong direction, but Pavlov did not recognize the signs to pull over, the news release stated.

Pavlov nearly hit a semitruck head-on, then made a slow U-turn and headed back toward the Medical Lake exit. He then exited the highway and continued on Aero Road.

A deputy collided his patrol car with Pavlov’s car in the 9900 block of W. Hallett Road. The crash caused Pavolv’s car to skid to a stop.

When deputies approached Pavlov, he “seemed confused, had a blank look on his face, and ignored commands to exit the vehicle,” according to the news release. Deputies had to forcefully remove him, and they smelled alcohol, according to the news release.