Driver of stolen KIA leads Thurston County deputies on chase going 130 mph
Deputies were able to use a Grappler to stop a driver going 130 mph in Thurston County earlier this week.
Olympia police got a ping for a stolen vehicle in West Olympia. When they tried to stop the driver, the person sped off.
Thurston County Sheriff’s deputies then spotted the car near Highway 101 and tried to stop it again. When the vehicle sped off, deputies gave chase.
The suspect was going at speeds of up to 130 mph on I-5.
Deputies were able to set up spikes while two Grapper-equipped deputies got into position to take the car down.
A “Grappler” is a device that is designed to stop a fleeing vehicle by entangling its rear tire with a net, which prevents it from further motion.
“One cool thing I picked up on: at the beginning of the pursuit, you can hear the deputy remind themselves to take deep breaths, which is something we specifically started teaching in our pursuit decision making class to help combat tunnel vision and improve high stakes decision making a driving,” Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders wrote on his Facebook.
The suspect was arrested without incident. There was no damage to any vehicles and no one was injured.
The driver was arrested for possession of a stolen car and attempting to elude. The driver also has multiple warrants out for their arrest in King County for domestic violence and assault.