Kent teenager flips stolen car, crashing into others and critically injuring two

KENT, Wash. — Two people are critically injured after a 16-year-old Kent boy stole a car and then crashed it trying to escape police.

Kent Patrol Officers responded to the 12900 block of SouthEast Kent-Kangley Road at around 9 p.m. on Monday to search for a car that had been recently stolen. The owner had called 911 and told officers that two suspects had taken her car, a blue PT Cruiser, after posing as prospective buyers.

Officers quickly found the stolen car and tried a traffic stop, but the driver accelerated off. Officers chose not to pursue due to heavy traffic in the area.

A few minutes later, patrol units discovered the stolen car flipped upside down at the intersection of Southeast 256th and 116th Street. The PT cruiser had hit two other cars, an Audi Q5 and a Toyota Corolla, causing significant damage to both. Medics were immediately called to the scene.

The occupants of the Audi had no major injuries at the time of the report. In the Toyota, however, the injuries were more serious. The driver, a 47-year-old Kent man, had multiple broken bones and was treated at the scene by firefighters before being taken to a local hospital. His passenger, an 18-year-old Kent woman, was significantly injured and transported in critical condition to a local hospital.

According to officers, the suspect driver was seen climbing out of the stolen Cruiser and immediately detained. Although he was able to climb out of the flipped car on his own, his injuries were significant enough that he was taken to a local hospital for treatment. He was positively identified by witnesses as the suspect who had stolen the Cruiser.

The second suspect was trapped inside the Cruiser and fire crews had to extract him from the car. It is unknown if the boy was a teen or a young adult. Due to the extent of his injuries, he was immediately transported in critical condition to a local hospital before he could be identified. His current condition is unknown.

Kent Police Traffic Unit responded to the scene and is investigating the circumstances that led up to the accident. Due to the significant nature of the injuries, the suspect is being investigated for vehicular assault in addition to theft of motor vehicle charges.

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