MOSES LAKE — A driver tried, but ultimately failed, to elude law enforcement near Moses Lake Thursday morning, according to a statement from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.

At about 7 a.m., a GCSO deputy attempted to stop a vehicle for expired registration and excessive speed on Potato Hill Road, just south of Moses Lake city limits, according to the statement. The driver tried to get away before the deputy turned on his emergency lights. When the lights came on, the driver fled into the Moses Lake Sand Dunes at high speed. The deputy dropped the pursuit in accordance with state law.

The GCSO and Moses Lake Police Department set up containment around the dunes, the statement said. MLPD spotted the vehicle as it emerged onto Sand Dunes Road.

Austin Valentine, 28, of Moses Lake, was taken into custody and booked for attempting to elude police, the statement said. The vehicle was impounded by the Grant County Sheriff's Office for further investigation. A female passenger was released at the scene.