Robbery suspect leaves a mess on I-5 in Fife while he makes a clean getaway
UPDATE 1:45 p.m.: All southbound lanes of Interstate 5 are now open. Traffic remains stop and go.
A robbery suspect is on the run but the mess he left behind on Interstate 5 has snarled traffic from Fife to Federal Way.
The string of incidents began when a man allegedly robbed a Kent cell phone store at 10:39 a.m. Wednesday, according to Washington State Patrol spokeswoman Johnna Batiste.
Kent police gave chase but terminated the pursuit at South 320th Street and I-5 in Federal Way.
A short time later, a State Patrol trooper saw a vehicle driving recklessly on southbound I-5 at the King/Pierce counties line. The vehicle, a black 2003 GMC Yukon, matched the one wanted by Kent police.
When the trooper attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver fled. Moments later he crashed into another vehicle at 54th Street, Batiste said.
The suspect fled on foot and entered the Blue Dog RV parking lot in the 1700 block of 51st Avenue East in Fife.
Despite a search by the Lakewood police K9 unit, the suspect was not found.
Two people injured in the crash were transported to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries, Batiste said.
This story was originally published July 3, 2019 at 1:06 PM.
