After 10 delays to resolve the most serious charges against him stemming from a three-state police chase that reached speeds as high as 150-mph, will the 11th time finally be the charm for former NASCAR and World of Outlaws racer Tyler Walker?
Walker, his attorney and prosecutors have tried 10 different times to hammer out a plea deal on a number of charges stemming from a police chase in January 2013 that began in Nevada, crossed into Arizona and ultimately ended in Utah.
ORIGINAL STORY: Watch former NASCAR, World of Outlaws driver Tyler Walker’s police chase, arrest (VIDEO)
The chase was befitting of a NASCAR race in a sense, as Walker’s BMW was reportedly caught on radar of reaching 150 mph at one point.
Walker, of Hermosa Beach, California, was originally charged with three felonies and five misdemeanors for the Utah part of the chase alone, where the pursuit finally ended on the outskirts of the town of St. George.
According to the St. George (Utah) Spectrum, the 35-year-old Walker – whose legal name is Timothy Tyler Andrew Walker – was slated to enter a plea by mail to Utah officials by Tuesday.
But on Sept. 30, according to the Spectrum report, prosecutors asked to delay entry of the plea agreement because they had learned Walker may have been arrested again in California.
However, Deputy County Attorney Rachelle Shumway told the newspaper that she has been unable to get information from police in California about the alleged new charges against Walker.
As a result, Shumway’s office asked for another delay in the plea agreement so that it can be amended and given to Walker. Terms of the agreement, which have not been disclosed, have reportedly been approved by both prosecutors and Walker’s defense team.
If there are no further delays, Walker will reportedly sign the plea agreement, according to defense attorney Trevor Terry, with resolution of the case finally set for Nov. 18.
Walker’s passenger during the chase, Raelle Hahn McDonald, has already been sentenced to probation. Upon searching the Walker’s vehicle, officers reportedly found open containers of vodka, as well as methamphetamine and marijuana, according to initial reports.
Walker reportedly is undergoing treatment for substance abuse in California, according to the Spectrum.
When arrested, Walker and McDonald — who police reports said were both under the influence — reportedly told officers they did not pull over because they believed pursuing officers were actually providing them a police escort to Colorado Springs, Colorado.
In January, as part of the charges against him in Arizona, he was convicted of endangerment and sentenced to one year of supervised probation but no jail time. It’s unclear what the disposition of charges against Walker has been in Nevada.
NASCAR suspended Walker indefinitely in 2007 for violations of the sanctioning body’s substance abuse policy. He has never been reinstated.
Walker would then go on to race in other series, particularly in the WoO.
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