SANDPOINT — A Washington state man in a drug-fueled break from reality is accused of barreling through school and construction zones at a high rate of speed while law officers pursued him through Sandpoint and Dover.

Jason William Ely is charged with two counts of aggravated assault for nearly hitting a Sandpoint Police officer with his BMW. He’s also charged with felony eluding and driving under the influence of a central nervous system stimulant.

Motorists on U.S. Highway 95 spotted the BMW swerving recklessly through traffic shortly after 6 a.m. on Friday morning near Selle Road, but the vehicle could not be located, according to court records. About an hour later, dispatch received additional calls about the BMW passing unsafely and speeding through the construction zone on the Long Bridge.

A sheriff’s deputy clocked the BMW at 100 mph in the 45 mph zone on the Sand Creek Byway. The vehicle exited the bypass and was followed southbound onto Fifth Avenue, with speeds reaching up to 40 mph in the 25 mph zone, a probable cause affidavit said. The vehicle disregarded red lights at Larch and Cedar and despite the presence of construction workers preparing for downtown traffic revisions.

The pursuit shifted onto Cedar and proceeded toward Division Avenue, where student pedestrians were making their way to their respective schools. The pursuit continued into Dover and to Dover Bay. The affidavit said Ely drove into a field and onto a pedestrian bike path.

Ely, a 38-year-old from Springdale, shook his clenched fist out the window at his pursuers at one point, affidavit said.

The pursuit ended on Mill Road, although the affidavit did not specify how this was accomplished.

Ely said he had a death wish after breaking up with the mother of his child. He admitted smoking methamphetamine earlier that morning and believed he was being pursued by federal agents over unpaid student loans.

“I just wanted to die today, dude,” a deputy quoted Ely as saying in the affidavit.

Ely added that he thought he was actually in Spokane while tearing through Bonner County.

Bonner County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Shane Greenbank recommended bail be set at $100,000 due to the brazen disregard for public safety during the incident. Magistrate Court Judge O. Lynn Brower adopted the recommendation due to his “atrocious conduct,” court records indicate.