Sequim man faces hit-and-run, evading police charges

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 11, 2026

A Sequim man remains in custody for an alleged hit-and-run incident and two incidents of evading law enforcement on Feb. 27.

Derek Morgan, 33, pleaded not guilty on March 6 in Clallam County Superior Court via his defense attorney William Payne.

A three-day trial was set for May 4 with a status conference at 1 p.m. April 3.

At Morgan’s first court appearance on March 2, Judge Brent Basden set Morgan’s bail at $50,000.

According to two probable cause statements, Morgan allegedly first evaded a Sequim Police officer starting at 1:05 a.m. Feb. 27.

The officer received a report from the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office of an alleged theft of coffee at the ampm convenience store at 51 Carlsborg Road and was given a description that matched Morgan and his 1996 blue Jeep Cherokee on U.S. Highway 101 going east.

With lights and sirens on, the officer attempted to have Morgan pull over from the Sequim Avenue highway ramp to the River Road roundabout. He was estimated to be traveling 40-50 mph through 25 mph zones on West Washington Street, court documents state.

The officer was advised to stop pursuit near the roundabout, court documents state.

Hours later, Clallam County Sheriff’s Office and Sequim Police Department responded to a hit-and-run on the 9500 block of Old Olympic Highway.

The victim called 911 and reported that a man, allegedly matching Morgan’s description along with his SUV, hit the back of her vehicle while at a four-way stop at the Old Olympic Highway and Evans Road intersection.

The victim later told a deputy that Morgan appeared to grip the steering wheel, lean forward, and seemed to intentionally hit her while driving between 30-35 mph. He then drove around her vehicle in the eastbound lane and left without stopping or exchanging insurance information.

A Sequim police officer attempted to stop the Jeep on the 300 block of Hendrickson Road but the vehicle fled north onto Kendall Road and then west on Old Olympic Highway.

Deputy Torri Middlekauff assumed pursuit with lights and sirens activated, the Sheriff’s Office reports, as Morgan drove onto the shoulder of the highway to pass a vehicle at the stop sign at the intersection of Old Olympic Highway and Cays Road. He would eventually turn north onto Towne Road where he was stopped.

According to the Sheriff’s Office Probable Cause report, Middlekauff was given permission to use a pursuit intervention technique (PIT) where she aligned her passenger side front fender with the Jeep’s rear driver side fender and then turned into the SUV in a controlled manner as the roadway was level, straight, and dry with no obstructions on either side of the road.

The Jeep went off the roadway and came to a stop in a farm field on the 500 block of Towne Road.

The Sheriff’s Office reported the second pursuit was about 5.9 miles and lasted about 12 minutes.

Neither Morgan nor the victim who reported the hit-and-run were injured.

Impairment due to drugs and/or alcohol was not a factor, the Sheriff’s Office reports.

Law enforcement report Morgan was wearing headphones over his ears during both incidents, according to court documents.

Eluding a pursuing police vehicle is a class C felony and Morgan could face a maximum of five years and/or a $10,000 fine. Hit-and-run attended vehicle is a gross misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of up to 364 days in jail and/or a $5,000 fine.