MARYSVILLE — A woman died in a crash on an I-5 off-ramp in Marysville early Friday morning while local police pursued her, authorities said.
Just before 2:30 a.m., the woman, who Marysville police suspected of second-degree assault, took the exit from southbound I-5 to Highway 528 in a Cadillac Escalade, according to the Washington State Patrol.
As she got off I-5, she left the off-ramp and hit a tree, state patrol said.
The woman, 32, was taken to a nearby hospital, where she died of her injuries, according to police.
The Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office will identify the deceased.
The state patrol’s Major Accident Investigation Team was investigating the crash Friday.
Police pursuit policy has been a controversial topic in Washington in recent years. Opponents of less restrictive rules argued the often high-speed car chases can be dangerous.
In 2021, state lawmakers passed a new law curbing the ability of police to pursue people suspected of crimes. The legislation banned pursuits for low-level crimes, like theft. It also set probable cause — rather than the lower criteria of reasonable suspicion — as the standard for pursuing suspects of violent crimes.
Across the state, police leaders reacted to the measure with uproar, saying it forced them to let many criminals get away. So after the pushback, lawmakers earlier this year reversed their previous move, once again allowing police to chase suspects of violent and sex crimes based on reasonable suspicion.
The law also gave officers the ability to pursue people suspected of domestic violence assault without probable cause.
In this case Friday, investigators had probable cause to believe the woman had committed felony assault, according to the state patrol.
This was the second fatal crash this week on or near the interstate in Marysville.
On Wednesday, a suspected hit and run left a pedestrian dead just south of mile post 199.
Jake Goldstein-Street: 425-339-3439; jake.goldstein-street@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @GoldsteinStreet.
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