WSP closes I-5 for hours after Thurston County chase. Here’s what happened
Both directions of I-5 in Lewis County were closed on Thursday night for nearly five hours after a pursuit ended in a suspect barricading themselves in their disabled vehicle on the side of the road.
A 51-year-old Hoodsport woman was arrested and booked into Lewis County Jail for the incident, according to the WSP.
According to an April 3 news release from the Washington State Patrol, a vehicle fled from the Mason County Sheriff’s Office after deputies attempted to initiate a traffic stop at around 6 p.m. Thursday. Trooper Dakota Russell told The Olympian it’s unclear what led to the traffic stop attempt.
The vehicle, a maroon Acura sedan, drove into Thurston County, where the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office initiated a pursuit. The pursuit continued southbound on I-5 into Lewis County. That’s when the WSP took over the pursuit, according to the release.
The vehicle struck spike strips near milepost 71 on I-5 but continued to drive for two miles before hitting a Washington State Department of Transportation sign on the right shoulder of southbound I-5, the State Patrol said. The wreck disabled the vehicle, according to the release.
The driver of the vehicle allegedly refused to exit and barricaded herself inside the vehicle. According to the release, the WSP Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team was deployed to the scene. Both northbound and southbound lanes of I-5 were closed to handle the situation at around 6:30 p.m.
Russell said folks on the scene did not know whether the driver had a weapon, and that she refused to leave the vehicle. Calling in SWAT and closing both sides of the interstate was done out of an abundance of caution and to ensure public safety, he said.
The woman was taken into custody after several hours, and she was transported to a local hospital. According to a WSP press memo, she was booked into Lewis County Jail on suspicion of felony eluding, reckless driving, hit-and-run, resisting arrest, obstruction and disorderly conduct.
Russell said both directions of the interstate were reopened at 11:20 p.m. The incident remains an active investigation with the WSP, according to the release.
Russell said he and WSDOT crews did what they could to set up a southbound detour off Exit 71, however, there isn’t much of a break in the median to divert traffic between there and milepost 69, where the incident occurred. He said nearly all DOT personnel were assisting in closing the road to address the barricaded suspect, and few were able to help get drivers turned around.
“It’s kind of one of the things where we try to do the best we can, but obviously we aren’t 100% all the time,” he said.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated with additional information about the arrest and the length of the closure from the State Patrol and comments from Trooper Russell.
This story was originally published April 3, 2026 at 10:02 AM.
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