Current conditions unavailable
A man trying to evade arrest drove the wrong way down Interstate 5 at least four different times before crashing into a Washington State Patrol officer around Lakewood in Pierce County early Wednesday morning, blocking traffic, police say.
The 19-year-old man was wanted on suspicion of first-degree assault and was being chased by Pierce County sheriff’s deputies starting in Tacoma, said Washington State Patrol spokesperson Kameron Watts.
During the chase, the driver got onto I-5 and drove back and forth between Tacoma and Lakewood, Watts said.
State troopers were called in to try to stop the vehicle, Watts said. One trooper engaged the man as he was driving north on southbound I-5 near the intersection with Highway 512.
The trooper rammed their vehicle into the driver’s SUV as it sped the other direction, successfully stopping it in the 1 a.m. hour, Watts said.
No one was injured in the crash, Watts said.
The left three lanes of southbound I-5 were closed, but the interstate has since reopened.
The driver was arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault, eluding police and more charges, Watts said.
© 2026 The Seattle Times. Visit www.seattletimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
