By Rolf Boone

The Olympian

A 47-year-old man faces multiple criminal charges after he fled from local law enforcement up and down I-5 Saturday night, finally crashing in west Olympia on Cooper Point Road, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.

About 11:40 p.m. Saturday, Lacey police were dispatched to suspicious activity near Britton Parkway Northeast and Shady Glen Court. There, the person who had called 911 had noticed a man in his truck, trying to load another vehicle onto a two-wheel car dolly.

Once the man realized he was being watched, he drove off, Sheriff’s Office Lt. Ray Brady said.

Lacey police fell in behind the truck and discovered that the license plate had been reported stolen out of Tacoma. The truck itself was reported stolen out of Bellevue, Brady said.

Lacey police were unable to stop the vehicle on southbound I-5, so a Sheriff’s deputy picked up the pursuit. The suspect headed south on I-5, then turned around in the Rochester area and headed north. He exited onto U.S. Highway 101 in Olympia, then drove over spike strips put down by police before exiting onto Cooper Point Road.

The man ultimately crashed his vehicle in the 3400 block of Cooper Point Road Northwest. Brady said the suspect did not comply with law enforcement at the scene, so a K-9 unit was used to take him into custody.

The man was arrested on suspicion of attempting to elude police, possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property and driving with a suspended license.