MARYSVILLE — An 80-mile pursuit of a carjacking suspect on I-5 ended in a wrong-way crash Tuesday evening in Marysville, according to the Washington State Patrol.
The pursuit began south of Tacoma near the main gate of Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Trooper Rocky Oliphant said a tire had blown out on the suspect’s own vehicle around 5:20 p.m. He reportedly ran up to a stranger’s Toyota Prius, forced the driver out and sped off in the stolen car.
By the time the fleeing car reached Lynnwood around 6 p.m., the man was driving north in southbound lanes of I-5, Oliphant said. Speeds neared 100 mph.
The wrong-way chase lasted about 20 miles, Oliphant said. Police radio traffic suggested the driver evaded spike strips and pursuing patrol cars, as officers tried to shut down traffic.
The Prius crashed into a small truck on the freeway near 88th Street NE, within view of the Tulalip Resort Casino.
It was a relatively minor crash, and there were no reports of serious injuries.
The Pruis had hit spike strips about a mile beforehand, shredding the car’s tires and slowing it down, Oliphant said. The man then tried to take the crashed truck by force, according to the state patrol.
Troopers arrested him before the chase went any farther. The man was expected to be booked into jail. His identity had not been released as of Tuesday evening.
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