A late-night brake light stop on Interstate 5 near Olympia spun out into a dangerous roadside takedown Friday when the driver refused to pull over, sped away, then sprinted into live freeway traffic before deputies tackled her. The chase ended near the Trosper Road area of Tumwater after deputies forced the car to a stop and it shed a tire. A passenger later told investigators they had pleaded with the driver to stop.
How a simple stop went sideways
Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders said in a social media post that a deputy first noticed the car around 11 p.m. because its brake lights were not working and tried to pull it over. Instead, the driver took off northbound on I-5, turning the traffic stop into a pursuit, according to The Olympian. In the sheriff’s account, which included photos from the scene, deputies continued after the vehicle until the driver bailed out and jumped over the center median.
PIT maneuver, blown tire and a near miss
KIRO 7 reports that a deputy used a PIT maneuver that disabled the suspect vehicle and knocked off a tire. The driver then climbed out and ran straight onto the freeway. She was almost hit by an oncoming car before a deputy caught up, tackled her on the roadway and restrained her, the station said.
Passenger’s plea and arrest site
Authorities say a passenger in the car told detectives they begged the driver to stop during the chase, but she kept going, according to The Olympian. Deputies took the woman into custody near the Trosper Road area of I-5 in Tumwater. Jail records show she was booked on suspicion of several offenses, and the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office released courtesy photos from the scene.
Long list of potential charges
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office says the suspect is facing possible charges that include driving under the influence, attempting to elude, unlawful imprisonment for allegedly keeping the passenger in the car, displaying a fake trip permit, driving with a suspended license and a prior felony theft warrant, KIRO 7 reports. Her name has not yet been released while booking procedures and notifications are completed, the outlet added.
How deputies are trying to end chases safely
Thurston County deputies have recently highlighted several pursuit interventions as they look for ways to stop fleeing drivers while reducing risk to everyone else on the road. Publicly released bodycam and dash video has shown spike strips, grapplers and PIT maneuvers being used on I-5 in previous cases. Earlier this year, Police1 documented one spike-strip deployment that brought a high-speed pursuit to a halt.
