BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A Bellingham man was placed back in custody after leading authorities on a high-speed chase in north Bellingham.

Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Deb Slater says 41-year-old Joshua Vermaat was temporarily released from the jail on the morning of Tuesday, June 25, to visit his sick child at the hospital.

The Sheriff’s Office later got word that Vermaat had left the hospital in a family member’s truck without their permission. Deputies found Vermaat around midnight and when they tried to stop him, Vermaat sped up and led them on a chase northbound along Hannegan Road.

Spike strips were used to deflate his tires before deputies performed a PIT maneuver to disable Vermaat’s vehicle.

Vermaat was taken back into custody and booked on additional charges.

He is currently named as the defendant in several felony cases against him.