No DUI, hit-and-run charges for 'Deadliest Catch' son
SEATTLE - Jake Harris, son of recently deceased "Deadliest Catch" fishing boat captain Phil Harris, won't face DUI or hit-and-run charges for a Feb. 18 reckless driving incident after all.
State troopers arrested Jake Harris on suspicion of DUI and hit-and-run following the incident on Interstate 5, which happened just days after the death of Harris' father.
But Dan Donohoe, spokesman for the King County Prosecutor's Office, told KOMO News Friday that there was not enough evidence to support a charge of DUI or hit-and-run.
Instead, Harris will be charged with reckless driving and driving with a suspended license, Donohoe said.
Harris is scheduled to appear in King County Superior Court for a pre-trial hearing on April 21 in connection with the charges.
Celebrity news site TMZ.com reported that prosecutors were unable to come up with any evidence that Jake Harris was under the influence of any substance.
Nor were witnesses able to place Jake Harris as the driver of a hit-and-run vehicle involved in an earlier accident, TMZ.com reported.
State Patrol Trooper Dan McDonald said a motorist called 911 on the night of Feb. 18 to report an aggressive driver headed south on I-5, a few hours after a hit-and-run accident on northbound I-5 near Highway 520.
Jake Harris later was spotted driving erratically down I-5 by a Washington State Patrol plane, McDonald said, and guided highway-based troopers to the Mercer Street exit off I-5, where Harris' vehicle was pulled over.
Harris was arrested and booked into the King County jail on suspicion of DUI, hit-and-run and driving with a suspended license.
Harris reportedly told troopers at the time of his arrest that he was late for a Discovery Channel dinner.
Jake Harris is the son of Phil Harris, the fishing boat captain whose adventures off the Alaska coast were captured on the television show "Deadliest Catch."
Phil Harris died Feb. 9 at age 53 of a massive stroke aboard his fishing boat, the Cornelia Marie, several days earlier while it was in port at St. Paul Island, Alaska.
The reality show, which has filmed five seasons, has been one of the Discovery Channel's most popular and depicts the crab fishing industry in the dangerous waters off Alaska.
State troopers arrested Jake Harris on suspicion of DUI and hit-and-run following the incident on Interstate 5, which happened just days after the death of Harris' father.
But Dan Donohoe, spokesman for the King County Prosecutor's Office, told KOMO News Friday that there was not enough evidence to support a charge of DUI or hit-and-run.
Instead, Harris will be charged with reckless driving and driving with a suspended license, Donohoe said.
Harris is scheduled to appear in King County Superior Court for a pre-trial hearing on April 21 in connection with the charges.
Celebrity news site TMZ.com reported that prosecutors were unable to come up with any evidence that Jake Harris was under the influence of any substance.
Nor were witnesses able to place Jake Harris as the driver of a hit-and-run vehicle involved in an earlier accident, TMZ.com reported.
State Patrol Trooper Dan McDonald said a motorist called 911 on the night of Feb. 18 to report an aggressive driver headed south on I-5, a few hours after a hit-and-run accident on northbound I-5 near Highway 520.
Jake Harris later was spotted driving erratically down I-5 by a Washington State Patrol plane, McDonald said, and guided highway-based troopers to the Mercer Street exit off I-5, where Harris' vehicle was pulled over.
Harris was arrested and booked into the King County jail on suspicion of DUI, hit-and-run and driving with a suspended license.
Harris reportedly told troopers at the time of his arrest that he was late for a Discovery Channel dinner.
Jake Harris is the son of Phil Harris, the fishing boat captain whose adventures off the Alaska coast were captured on the television show "Deadliest Catch."
Phil Harris died Feb. 9 at age 53 of a massive stroke aboard his fishing boat, the Cornelia Marie, several days earlier while it was in port at St. Paul Island, Alaska.
The reality show, which has filmed five seasons, has been one of the Discovery Channel's most popular and depicts the crab fishing industry in the dangerous waters off Alaska.