High-speed chase shuts down I-90

NORTH BEND - Five people were hurt, one critically, when a stolen truck crashed into two King County Sheriff's Office patrol cars on Monday afternoon outside of North Bend on Interstate 90.

The accident, which occurred in the eastbound lanes of I-90, brought traffic to a halt for almost two hours.

Sgt. Jeff Gehrke said the chase started in the Maple Valley area about 3:30 p.m. when a person reported a white pickup truck and some valuables inside of it had been stolen from a residence. When a King County deputy arrived at the scene, the stolen pickup allegedly drove back to the residence. Once the suspects saw the deputy, they reportedly sped away and were chased by the deputy.

Another King County deputy joined the pursuit as the car headed north on State Route 18, then onto the eastbound lanes of I-90. Along the way the suspects, two men and one woman, allegedly started to throw items from the truck in an effort to get rid of stolen goods or drug paraphernalia. According to the Sheriff's Office, the chase reached speeds of 80 to 90 mph.

Before 4 p.m., about two miles east of Exit 27 on I-90, the driver of the stolen truck allegedly rammed one of the patrol cars, causing it to roll over and crash into the center median. The truck then lost control and was rammed by the other patrol car in its passenger side, causing the truck to run off the right side of the road and come to rest in the embankment.

Both of the deputies sustained minor injuries and are in satisfactory condition.

One of the suspects in the truck was critically injured and taken to Harborview Medical Center. The other two sustained injuries and were taken to another hospital.

It is unknown whether alcohol was a factor in the accident, or if the suspects knew the victim they had allegedly stolen the truck from.

All three suspects remain in custody.

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