The Bellingham Police Department has released bodycam footage of a July 21 pursuit that began on I-5 near Sunset Drive and ended in a crash close to the Canadian border.

According to BPD, an officer saw a car being driven recklessly at more than 90 mph near Sunset Drive on I-5 and attempted a traffic stop shortly after 1:15 a.m. The driver did not stop and instead increased his speed.

The officer pursued the vehicle north on I-5. Police say the driver lost control and crashed after striking the jersey barriers on both sides of the freeway. He tried to run from the car but fell immediately outside it, and officers took him into custody.

Medics checked him at the scene before he was transported to the emergency room for a medical evaluation and a search warrant for a blood draw. BPD says officers noted signs of intoxication and found alcohol cans and THC products in the car.

He was medically cleared with minor injuries and booked into jail on charges of attempting to elude a police vehicle and DUI. BPD noted in its post that this was the department's 250th DUI arrest of 2026.

Court and custody status

Whatcom County Jail records list Dryw Thomas Hopps, booked at 4:58 a.m. on July 21 with BPD listed as the arresting agency. The records show two charges filed under the same event number, attempting to elude a police vehicle and DUI alcohol, both filed in Whatcom County Superior Court, with bail set at a $25,000 appearance bond or $2,500 cash.

In a comment on its own post, Bellingham Police Department confirmed that the driver is being held on the appearance bond. As of publication, the jail record showed no release date and no disposition.

Watch the video

BPD posted the bodycam footage on its Facebook page (click to view)

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Charges are allegations only. Hopps has not been convicted of any crime in connection with this incident and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. This report is based on a public statement from the Bellingham Police Department and publicly available Whatcom County jail records.