Pursuit that reaches more than 100 mph ends in downtown Olympia near train tunnel
A 41-year-old man faces multiple criminal charges after he fled from deputies in Pierce and Thurston counties and ended up crashing his vehicle in downtown Olympia near the city’s train tunnel Sunday night.
Among the potential charges he faces: eluding police and possession of a stolen vehicle.
About 9:30 p.m. Sunday, Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies alerted Thurston deputies that they were pursuing the suspect’s Mazda on southbound I-5, but had lost sight of him at Exit 116.
Thurston deputies picked up the pursuit and followed him south. During the chase, the suspect reached speeds of 135 miles per hour, Lt. Ray Brady said.
The deputies lost sight of him at Exit 105 in Olympia, then minutes later they received a report that the man had driven down the embankment at Jefferson Street Southeast and Seventh Avenue Southeast, and onto train tracks that lead to a tunnel that runs under downtown streets.
A deputy with a K9 tracked the suspect through the tunnel and took the man into custody.
Brady said the same driver is believed to have fled from multiple law enforcement agencies, including Orting, Fife and Tacoma police, earlier in the weekend.
This story was originally published March 30, 2020 at 10:53 AM.
