Deputies say driver removed plates before leading them on 150 mph police chase
By: -----
Thurston County, WA - A driver in Thurston County, apparently confident their car could outrun authorities, intentionally led deputies on a chase that reached speeds of more than 150 mph Monday night.
According to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO), a sergeant and K-9 Igo saw a BMW without license plates driving recklessly. When the sergeant tried to pull the car over, it went through a red light, sparking a chase.
As the fleeing car reached speeds of more than 150 mph, the sergeant began to lose sight of the BMW.
However, a deputy managed to deploy a spike strip that made contact with the BMW’s tires, while somehow avoiding spiking any other cars on Interstate 5 or the pursuing deputies’ vehicles.
With its tires punctured, the BMW came to a stop, and the driver surrendered before being arrested.
The TCSO said the driver admitted to seeing the deputy’s K-9 unit parked across the street before removing the BMW’s plates, doing donuts, drifting out of the parking lot, then fleeing.
The driver, who has a suspended license, was booked into jail, and the BMW was seized.
Only 31 minutes before the chase, the same deputy had chased down two theft suspects in a car on northbound I-5 near Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
In that incident, Olympia police officers were able to keep the car in sight long enough for the deputy to catch up, deploy a grappler, and bring the car to a stop.
Both people in the car had arrest warrants for crimes ranging from theft to assault.