Police suspect driver had a few drinks before chase that put 3 in hospital

Three people were seriously injured early Wednesday when a suspected drunken driver rolled his car on state Route 167 in Sumner while trying to escape a trooper.

The 21-year-old driver was speeding west on state Route 410 when a trooper in an unmarked car conducting speed enforcement clocked him at 75 mph in a 55 mph zone, trooper Brooke Bova said.

“The trooper turned his lights on to pull into traffic and go after him,” Bova said. “The driver saw that and took off.”

The man tried to get onto northbound state Route 167, lost control on the off-ramp while going 100 mph and rolled his vehicle several times, according to the State Patrol.

The 2016 Toyota Corolla landed in a ditch 20 feet below.

Taken to the hospital were the driver and his passengers, a 16-year-old girl and a 22-year-old man. The teen suffered a torn abdomen and lacerations. The male passenger suffered a collapsed lung and broken ribs, Bova said. The driver, who is expected to face vehicular assault charged, had several facial cuts and bruises.

All three were wearing their seat belts.

Troopers closed the freeway for several hours while investigating the crash. All lanes reopened about 5 a.m.

This story was originally published May 17, 2017 at 7:01 AM with the headline "Police suspect driver had a few drinks before chase that put 3 in hospital."