Southbound I-5 traffic in Thurston Co. blocked after pursuit ends near Tumwater
A pursuit that originated in Mason County early Tuesday ended on southbound I-5 in Tumwater and blocked traffic during the morning commute, a spokesman for the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office said.
Traffic began to slow a little after 7:30 a.m., the state Department of Transportation said on social media.
Prior to that time, a male driver allegedly had rammed a patrol car in Mason County and fled from the area on U.S. Highway 101 toward Olympia, Thurston County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Cameron Simper said.
Thurston County sheriff’s deputies pursued the vehicle from Highway 101 to I-5 south near Tumwater and then performed a pursuit intervention technique to stop the driver.
The male suspect was taken into custody without incident, Simper said. The road was finally cleared about 30 to 40 minutes after they stopped the driver, he said.
It wasn’t immediately clear what charges the suspect will face in Mason County, but in Thurston County he is facing a felony eluding charge, Simper said.
