THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. — The driver of a stolen pickup truck is in jail after she struck two cars with innocent people inside while fleeing police.
Now, the Thurston County Sheriff is defending the deputy’s decision to pursue that stolen pickup.
The four people involved in the crash survived, including an older couple heading home after dinner.
The accident happened on Black Lake Boulevard in West Olympia.
Days later, the Thurston County Sheriff posted he fully supports the deputy who gave chase.
Sheriff Derek Sanders says he wanted his constituents to know he never wants to see what happened here last Tuesday. Four innocent people were struck by a stolen pickup truck, its driver refusing to stop for a deputy.
This is the dash cam video of that chase last Tuesday night. Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders says the deputy spotted the stolen truck on Black Lake Boulevard, turned around to pursue it. And the 24-year-old driver took off.
“Didn’t even activate their emergency lights,” Sanders said, describing the deputy’s actions. “Just turned around the truck. And next thing you know the truck is going 80 miles per hour in a 35-mile-an-hour zone.”
The deputy continued the pursuit. It is easy to see other drivers pulling over. Then he passes the crash scene and doubles back.
“You know the deputy called out ‘in pursuit,’” said Sanders. “It’s more of an attempted pursuit. We never even got far, that close behind the truck.”
But this was the sad result. The fleeing driver struck a car with a 71-year-old man and his 68-year-old wife inside. They were two miles from home, but they never made it. This cell phone video shows medics giving them first aid, their car, a total wreck.
“I was loading up my car,” said Mark Borgaard. “My daughter and her wife had just gotten into their car when I heard a huge bang.”
Borgaard says he looked across the street and saw that a car had been struck with great force. Then he realized his own family members had been sideswiped, too.
“They were aimed right down the road when this happened,” Borgaard said. “My daughter saw the crash happening and warned my daughter-in-law.”
She saw it happening, he said. “Yeah, yeah.”
Sheriff Sanders says no one wants this to happen.
“At the end of the day, the accountability needs to lie with the auto thief and their decision not to be held accountable for their own actions and risk what we’re seeing,” he said, pointing to the crash scene.
Borgaard was asked what he thought about the pursuit. “Oh, I feel it was totally defendable,” he said. “You know considering how close this was to tragedy for my family, I feel this crime has gotten out of control.”
The suspect was taken to a hospital, too. She was booked into the Thurston County jail the next day on eluding and reckless driving. She is being held on $200,000 bail.