Deputies arrested a 34-year-old man who’s accused of striking a patrol vehicle and eluding law enforcement in South Thurston County early Thursday morning.
The pursuit began after 2 a.m. in the Rochester and Grand Mound area and ended on Interstate 5 near the Scatter Creek Rest Area, according to a Facebook post by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.
The county jail roster shows deputies booked the man on suspicion of second-degree assault, attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle, unlawful imprisonment, possession of a stolen vehicle, and not having a valid driver’s license.
Deputies learned a stolen Hyundai was being tracked and had stopped at the intersection of 178th Avenue Southwest and Jordan Street in Rochester, the social media post says. The driver reportedly began to leave as deputies got into position at the scene.
A deputy noticed this and positioned his patrol vehicle with emergency lights activated, according to the post. The driver allegedly backed up and struck the patrol vehicle’s driver side door.
The Sheriff’s Office released a silent video from the scene on its Facebook page. The video shows the deputy activating his emergency lights just as the suspect’s vehicle back lights appear. The suspect appears to back up and turn into the patrol vehicle’s driver side.
The post says the deputy began getting back into his vehicle for protection just before the crash. The crash reportedly forced the deputy the “rest of the way” into his patrol vehicle.
Deputies then began pursuing the vehicle on suspicion of second-degree assault. The pursuit ended on I-5 and the driver was arrested near milepost 91, according to the post and jail roster.
The post indicates the deputy who was involved in the crash was treated at Providence St. Peter Hospital Emergency Room for minor injuries.
