Victim airlifted from Tumwater, WA crash, 18-year-old faces vehicular assault
TUMWATER, Wash. - Several car crashes caused injuries and road closures as police attempted to arrest an 18-year-old in violation of their house arrest on Friday morning in the Tumwater area. The teen now faces charges for multiple crimes, including for driving under the influence, hit-and-run, possession of a stolen car, and vehicular assault.
What we know:
Tumwater Blvd. remained closed Friday afternoon at Nikolas St, and traffic was limited in the area of Capital Blvd at Tumwater Blvd following a high-speed chase and collision early in the morning.
Tumwater, WA crash sites
Tumwater police officers were sent out to New Market Street at Tumwater Blvd. to find an 18-year-old male with a felony warrant out for his arrest from King County. The teen's location was tracked using his ankle monitoring device.
At around 8:45 a.m., Tumwater officers found the suspect asleep in his car in a parking lot off New Market Street.
Before waking him, officers deployed a pursuit intervention device under his vehicle. Upon waking, the suspect refused to exit the vehicle and fled the scene, according to TPD.
Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders said in a post to social media on Friday that no police chase was initiated when the suspect first fled the scene. Tumwater Police said in a statement they were trying to catch up to the driver after they fled the area.
As officers say they were attempting to catch up to him, the suspect reportedly crashed into two vehicles at the intersection of Capital Blvd. and Tumwater Blvd.
One of the vehicles veered into a building at the southeast corner of the intersection. The driver of that vehicle was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center with critical injuries. Occupants of the second vehicle sustained minor injuries, while the suspect was unharmed.
Police report that the suspect fled on foot but was quickly apprehended by a Tumwater police officer. He is being processed for DUI and is expected to be booked upon completion of the investigation.
The vehicle driven by the suspect, a new GMC Denali with temporary tags, was reported stolen during a carjacking incident in Tukwila on July 10. Authorities are investigating whether the suspect was involved in the carjacking.
The Thurston County Sheriff's Office is assisting with the collision investigation, while Tumwater Police Department continues to investigate the suspect's actions. No injuries were reported from individuals inside the building, and the vehicle did not penetrate the structure.
The Source: Information in this story came from Tumwater Police Department.
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