Police pursuit of suspected DUI driver on U.S. 2 ends in fatal head-on crash

INDEX, Wash. -- Police pursuit of a driver said to be driving erratically on U.S. 2 near Index led to a head-on crash Monday that killed the man being pursued and resulted in three other injuries, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office said.

Two deputies, in two separate vehicles, pulled over a suspected drunken driver on U.S. 2 near Sultan, the sheriff's office said. But the driver then got back into his vehicle and fled, it added. Both deputies started chasing him when the  vehicle swerved into oncoming traffic, hitting another a SUV head-on and killing the suspected DUI driver, the sheriff's office said.

The Everett Herald said the man killed was a 55-year-old from Skykomish.

The driver who was hit head-on was taken to the hospital. That driver's condition was not immediately released. The Everett Herald reported that the driver was an 86-year-old from Edmonds.

Both deputies were injured and taken to the hospital, too, but their injuries were believed to be minor. They were released from the hospital late Monday, and will be placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation, per standard procedure.

Highway 2 was expected to be closed until around 6 a.m. Tuesday.