Suspect steals car, rams patrol vehicle in pursuit

On December 28, Thurston County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) deputies successfully arrested a suspect in a high-speed pursuit involving a stolen 2022 Hyundai Elantra.

In TCSO’s police report, the incident began when deputies were notified of the stolen vehicle, which was being tracked in real-time by Hyundai after being reported stolen by the Seattle Police Department.

Responding deputies converged in the area to develop a plan for the vehicle's recovery.

As different police vehicles started approaching the stolen vehicle, one of the deputies reported that the suspect had struck him and his patrol vehicle, giving authorities probable cause for felonious assault on law enforcement.

The suspect, later identified as Colton O. Lee from Seattle, fled the scene after ramming the deputy.

The pursuit continued through various locations, with speeds reaching up to 100 mph, with the suspect has allegedly displaying complete disregard for traffic laws, safety, and road conditions as the suspect's vehicle narrowly avoided colliding with two semi-trucks, drove off the center median, and ran red lights.

“As we closed the distance, we could smell and see that the suspect was losing one or more of his rear tires and it began smoking heavily. The suspect’s erratic driving continued causing him to uncontrollably swerve towards two semi-trucks due to his loss of traction,” TCSO stated in their police report.

The chase eventually led onto the northbound lane of I-5, where the suspect's vehicle began to lose control due to tire damage.

A TCSO Deputy successfully performed a precision immobilization technique (PIT) on the suspect's vehicle to avoid the suspect vehicle to merge back on I-5 northbound

“The vehicle spun and collided with the start of the guard rail and was partially off the roadway. This pinned the vehicle in a way where the suspect could not escape,” TCSO reported.

Once arrested, the driver was asked to be interviewed but he invoked his right to remain silent and consult with an attorney.

The female passenger, on the other hand, provided a statement, detailing her pleas to be let out of the vehicle during the pursuit.

“She had begged him to let her out of the vehicle multiple times, but he had refused, asking her to light him a cigarette,” TCSO reported the female passenger’s official statement.

Due to the female passenger’s statement, there was a probable cause that she had been unlawfully imprisoned by the suspect, leading to additional charges.

It was also discovered that the suspect did not possess a valid driver's license and could not provide any form of identification.

The suspect was booked into Thurston County Jail on multiple charges, including possession of a stolen vehicle, attempting to elude a police vehicle, unlawful imprisonment, second degree assault, and NVOL without ID.

The deputy who was struck during the pursuit, transported himself to St. Peter’s Hospital for a medical evaluation, where he was assessed for minor injuries and later released.

Chehalis Tribal Police Department assisted in ensuring no other vehicles or property were damaged during the pursuit.

The stolen Hyundai Elantra was impounded, and contact was not yet made with the registered owner as of this writing.

Aside from the damage from the police vehicle that was struck by the suspect, the only other reported damage was to the stolen vehicle and a guard rail.