Box of wine found in car that crashed fleeing troopers, injuring 3

The driver was speeding when he flew past a trooper, and went even faster after the trooper turned on his lights and got behind the car.

The trooper clocked the 21-year-old in the Toyota Corolla at 74 mph on state Route 410 in Sumner, well over the posted 55 mph speed limit. He said he reached speeds of 113 mph trying unsuccessfully to catch up to the car.

The driver tried to get onto northbound state Route 167, lost control on the off-ramp and rolled his vehicle several times. It landed at the bottom of the embankment.

A 16-year-old girl in the passenger seat suffered a torn abdomen and lacerations. A 22-year-old man in the backseat had broken ribs and a collapsed lung.

“At different times while down there, I heard both passengers get mad at (the driver) for not stopping and for crashing,” a trooper wrote in a police report.

A box of wine was found inside the car.

The driver allegedly admitted to having a few drinks, but declined to speak with troopers. He was also taken to the hospital for various lacerations.

He pleaded not guilty Thursday to two counts of vehicular assault and attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle. Pierce County Superior Court Commissioner Meagan Foley ordered him jailed in lieu of $50,000 bail.

This story was originally published May 19, 2017 at 3:27 PM with the headline "Box of wine found in car that crashed fleeing troopers, injuring 3."