Man escapes police after crashing car into building in Centralia
Dec 13, 2024, 8:09 AM
A car crashed into a building after attempting to turn east onto Center Street from North Tower in Centralia. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
Centralia Police is actively searching for a suspect who crashed into a building in Centralia after a high-speed pursuit Thursday morning.
An officer with the Centralia Police Department (CPD) first spotted the suspect when he was driving a red SUV southbound on North Pearl Street just after 2:15 a.m. Dec. 12. The officer believed the driver was driving under the influence.
More crime on the roads: Machete-wielding suspect arrested after stealing car near the border
Once the officer attempted to pull the driver over, he fled at a high rate of speed. The officer chased the suspect until the driver turned off North Pearl Street onto a side road, according to KIRO 7, driving the wrong way on North Tower Street to evade capture.
Once the driver turned onto wrong-way traffic, the Centralia police officer in pursuit backed off, citing safety reasons. Shortly after, the suspect lost control of the vehicle, striking a parked car and crashing it into a building.
The suspect once again fled, this time on foot, last seen running eastbound on Center Street, according to KIRO 7. A K9 team was deployed to track the suspect, but the suspect couldn’t be found, as of this reporting.
More WA crime: Shoreline police release video game-esque drone footage of suspect’s capture
Centralia Police are asking anyone with information about the suspect’s identity to contact their department. The suspect is wanted in connection with eluding law enforcement and a hit-and-run.
Contributing: KIRO 7
Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.
