Tips led Lacey Police to hit-and-run suspect

Citizen tips helped lead authorities to a 27-year-old Tumwater man police believe “played vehicle pinball” after exiting Interstate 5 at Sleater Kinney Road Southeast Tuesday morning, the Lacey Police Department says.

In a Facebook post just before noon Tuesday, the department asked for help finding a Dodge Ram that had lost its front grill, a headlight, and half a license plate frame.

The Ram and another vehicle had been “jockeying for position as they were passing each other using the shoulder and oncoming lanes,” according to the department’s post.

After rear-ending a vehicle on College Street Southeast, pushing it into another vehicle and totaling it, the Ram drove on to hit another vehicle on 3rd Avenue Southeast and almost caused another collision on Golf Club Road Southeast.

Sgt. Jaime Newcomb told The Olympian the department received tips in conjunction with its own investigation that pointed police to a dealership in Oregon, based on the piece of a license plate frame. An officer called the dealership and provided it with photos of other debris, then the dealership shared information on a Tumwater man who had purchased the vehicle.

About 5:20 p.m., Lacey asked the Tumwater Police Department to check the man’s residence, according to Newcomb. The man ultimately admitted to being in a collision earlier in the day and was arrested on two counts of hit-and-run and one count of reckless driving.

He was booked into the Nisqually Jail, Newcomb said.

This story was originally published October 30, 2019 at 10:05 AM.