Crime

He should have worn his seat belt. He got a car chase, wreck and jail instead.

A truck that rolled and hit a utility pole at the intersection of N. Stevens Street and N. 14th Street on Monday, July 24, 2017.
A truck that rolled and hit a utility pole at the intersection of N. Stevens Street and N. 14th Street on Monday, July 24, 2017. Brooke Bova/Washington State Patrol

A seat belt violation turned into a pursuit that ended with a rollover wreck in a North End Tacoma neighborhood Monday evening.

The incident began around 5 p.m. on Pearl Street in Tacoma when a Washington State Patrol trooper attempted to stop a driver for a seat belt violation, said WSP spokeswoman Brooke Bova.

Instead, the driver took off.

The SUV sped through North End neighborhoods until it crossed Stevens Street at North 14th Street.

At that moment, a Scion xB driving on Stevens hit the fleeing SUV.

It was not immediately available what direction each car was traveling.

The SUV rolled and hit a utility pole, breaking it.

The male driver of the SUV was arrested at the scene for an outstanding warrant and felony eluding. He and two female passengers received minor injuries.

The female driver of the Scion was also injured, but not seriously, Bova said.

Tacoma Public Utilities was at the scene to repair damage. The utility’s website showed 59 customers in the area lost power.

Craig Sailor: 253-597-8541, @crsailor

This story was originally published July 24, 2017 at 7:53 PM with the headline "He should have worn his seat belt. He got a car chase, wreck and jail instead.."

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