A 32-year-old Olympia man was arrested in downtown Centralia and jailed in Clark County Tuesday after a chase on Interstate 5 reached speeds of more than 100 miles per hour before stretching into Centralia, where the suspect sped through streets at over 80 mph, according to a news release from the Centralia Police Department.
Teral A. Thomas, 32, of Olympia, faces charges of second-degree assault, unlawful imprisonment, attempting to elude police and felony violation of a no-contact order, according to police.
At around 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, local area law enforcement officers were alerted that Cowlitz County deputies and troopers from the Washington State Patrol were pursuing a suspect at speeds over 100 mph northbound on Interstate 5 from the Cowlitz and Lewis County line, according to a news release from the police department.
The suspect, Teral A. Thomas, 32 of Olympia, was wanted for a felony assault and unlawful imprisonment that had occurred in Clark County, and the victim was believed to still be in the vehicle.
As the pursuit neared Centralia, local area law enforcement joined the pursuit as the suspect exited the freeway and sped through Centralia streets at speeds over 80 mph. At one point, officers attempted a PIT maneuver on the vehicle, but Thomas managed to drive out of the spin and the pursuit continued into the Edison District, where the driver bailed out of the car while it was still moving and fled on foot, according to police. The victim was not injured.
A Cowlitz County K9 unit that was involved in the pursuit tracked Thomas for over an hour but was not able to locate him. Detectives and officers from the Centralia Police Department later located Thomas walking in the downtown area around 7:30 a.m. and took him into custody without further incident.
Thomas was turned over to Clark County officials to face charges in that jurisdiction and will also be facing local charges, to include eluding and a felony-level protection order violation.
The article was updated after the Centralia Police Department provided a revised news release.
