Troopers outsmart motorcyclists doing wheelies, high speeds on I-5

Suspects who troopers say were driving recklessly on high-speed motorcycles may have been able to outrun the Washington State Patrol (WSP) on Interstate 5, but troopers had another way to bring them to a stop.

Shortly before 1 a.m. on Friday, troopers tried to stop two motorcycles on I-5 in Federal Way for doing wheelies and speeding at more than 100 mph, but the suspects fled, according to WSP.

The riders likely thought they had dropped the cops when they stopped for gas in Renton, but that wasn't the case.

WSP has a fleet of aircraft, and while the motorcycles could speed away from troopers on the ground, a small plane followed them to Renton. When the bikers stopped for gas there, they were taken into custody.

They were booked into the King County Jail for eluding, a felony.

WSP Aviation manages six airplanes: Three Cessna 182s, one King Air, and two Cessna 206s equipped with Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) cameras.