Thurston County deputies arrested a person who crashed into a dead-end in west Olympia Thursday after allegedly fleeing from law enforcement in a stolen vehicle.
In a social media post, the Sheriff's Office accused the person of eluding law enforcement, hit and run, possession of a stolen vehicle and driving under the influence. Chehalis Tribal police also had sought the driver because they suspected them of eluding police and vehicle prowl Wednesday night.
Tumwater police initially responded to a "disturbance" involving a suspected stolen car at around 11 a.m. Thursday, according to the Sheriff's Office post. The driver of the vehicle allegedly struck a Tumwater police vehicle and fled the scene.
Sheriff Derek Sanders reportedly spotted the vehicle driving backwards through a roundabout and started a pursuit. Given the driver's behavior, Sanders suspected they may be driving under the influence, the post reads.
The driver eventually crashed their vehicle at a dead end in west Olympia near Harrison Avenue Northwest. The Sheriff's Office wrote that they used a K9 dog named Igo and a Washington State Patrol aircraft to coordinate the driver's capture.
After detaining the suspect, the Sheriff's Office posted a smiling photograph of Sanders with K9 Igo on their Facebook page.
Sanders became Sheriff on Jan. 1, replacing long-time incumbent John Snaza, who lost reelection in November.
The Olympian has asked the Sheriff's Office for more information about this incident.
