Car fleeing police overturns on I-5; suspects flee but 4 later arrested

The car that was fleeing police overturned on I-5 near the Southcenter Mall. The occupants fled from police. (Photo courtesy of Zeatha Mistron)



TUKWILA -- A car fleeing from police on Interstate 5 crashed and overturned Thursday night and the suspects ran into the brush near State Route 599.  Police tracked down four of them, but one was still being sought.

Tukwila police say the five suspects inside that car were allegedly seen breaking the window of a parked car at Southcenter Mall earlier in the evening. As they tried to flee in a silver sedan, they hit another car and police chased them onto northbound I-5.

With the police car pursuing, the driver lost control and the car overturned on I-5. The suspects, at least one of them bloody, fled into the brush near State Route 599.

Officers shut down the southbound lanes of I-5, too, after the suspects took off on foot and they pursued them.

K-9 units tracked them to a wooded area just off the freeway, where officers were able to find four of them.



"The helicopter guys maybe spotted the guys on the ground, I'm not sure. They were able to find them quickly, they did a good job," witnesses Joe Dipietro said.

Dipietro was impressed that the officers were able to catch the suspects without anyone getting hurt  or any shots being fired.

"We saw them catch two of the guys, they were running. One  of the guys was on the other side, I think they had a dog with them because I could hear a dog barking. By that time, they had already put one guy on the ground and put the cuffs on them," he said.

"The cops did a good job, they secured the area, kept the innocent people out of the way, and did what they had to do," he added.

But there is still one suspect on the loose.

Tukwila police say with the other four in custody, they should be able to identify him and track him down quickly. They said they found a couple of weapons inside the car.  They said the suspects will be facing multiple charges.

 

 

Tukwila police holding down a suspect after a police chase and crash off I-5. (Photo courtesy of Jared Stanger)



 

Officers pointing weapons at one of the suspects before he was taken into custody. (Photo courtesy of Dondi HoopGod Shoecraft)