Grand Coulee man driving a stolen bus leads police on chase
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 4 months AGO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | February 3, 2021 4:30 PM
By CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Staff Writer
ELECTRIC CITY — A Grand Coulee man was booked into the Grant County Jail for motor vehicle theft and felony eluding after he allegedly stole a Grant Transit Authority bus Wednesday morning.
Richard D. Manley, 62, allegedly stole the bus in Moses Lake and drove more than 60 miles before he ran the bus off the road, according to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.
No one was injured and the bus sustained minor damage, the press release said.
The bus was reported stolen at about 7 a.m., and law enforcement agencies throughout the county were asked to look for it. A sheriff’s deputy found the bus about 30 minutes later, near the town of Stratford on state Route 28.
The bus reached speeds of about 80 mph, the GCSO said.
Manley allegedly fled from officers north on Pinto Ridge Road, through the town of Coulee City, then north on state Route 155. Grand Coulee police officers used spike strips, which deflated one of the bus’s rear dual tires, but Manley was able to continue driving the vehicle.
Grand Coulee police set up a second set of spike strips near Electric City. They deflated the right front tire of the bus, but Manley kept going. About a half-mile further down the road, he veered off the road and stopped.
The Soap Lake Police Department and Washington State Patrol assisted the GCSO and MLPD in the pursuit.
A video by Soap Lake police showing part of the chase was posted at https://www.facebook.com/GrantCoSheriff/videos/346843629688890/.
MORE CRIME STORIES
Moses Lake man charged with vehicle theft, attempting to elude
Columbia Basin Herald | Updated 7 years, 6 months ago
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER

Former Port of Mattawa director under investigation for misuse of funds
MATTAWA — The Grant County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a report from the Washington State Auditor’s Office that found former Port of Mattawa General Manager Lars Leland may have misappropriated port funds. Port commissioners said in a statement that some possible irregularities were discovered while port officials were preparing for an audit.
Moses Lake Ace store closes
MOSES LAKE — Ag Supply Ace Hardware has ceased operation in Moses Lake after seven years in business. The closure was announced Tuesday.
Some road projects close to completion, others scheduled for July
MOSES LAKE — Summer construction season does not always mean road construction. A section of a downtown Moses Lake street got a new sidewalk this week. Crews from McBoyz Construction, Moses Lake, were out on Thursday morning pouring and finishing new sidewalk at the intersection of West Third Avenue and South Balsam Street. The old sidewalk was removed from about half the block of West Third Avenue, along with the corner sections and about half the block along South Balsam Street.