All lanes of southbound I-5 near Chehalis closed after trooper struck by car
All lanes of southbound I-5 near Chehalis were closed Tuesday afternoon after a Washington State Patrol trooper was struck by a vehicle, a spokesman for the department said.
The trooper has been taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Trooper Will Finn said.
A detour is in place on southbound I-5, Finn said.
Thurston County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Ray Brady provided details on an incident Monday afternoon in the county that triggered the pursuit that injured the trooper.
About 2:45 p.m. Monday, a suspect exited a store in the 9100 block of Pacific Avenue Southeast after failing to pay for lighter fluid, Brady said.
The store clerk confronted the suspect, who allegedly threatened the clerk and a customer with a stun gun. The suspect then got into his vehicle, threatened to drive into the clerk, then drove off, Brady said.
Deputies spotted the suspect’s vehicle Tuesday afternoon and he was pursued into Lewis County.
Finn said the trooper was struck sometime during the time of the pursuit, but it was unclear if the trooper was hit by the suspect or another motorist.
The suspect barricaded himself in his vehicle at milepost 76, but Brady said the suspect is now in custody.
This story was originally published March 24, 2020 at 4:08 PM.
