Pursuit ensues after firefighters almost hit at Pierce County collision scene
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office pursued a driver who nearly hitting firefighters at a collision scene near 176th Street East and Waller Road East on Monday.
First responders were dispatched for a two-car collision at 38th Avenue East and 176th Street East that closed both eastbound and westbound lanes.
According to Brianna Stenstrom, spokesperson for Central Pierce Fire & Rescue, authorities arrived at around 10 a.m., where they discovered the crash involved two people suffering from minor injuries. One was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Deputy Carly Cappetto, spokesperson for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, said that while units were responding to the crash, a silver Jeep blew through the collision site, almost hitting firefighters. Deputies attempted a traffic stop, but the driver failed to yield. Deputies then conducted two “precision immobilization techniques” before pinning the vehicle at a dead end near 22nd Avenue East and 208th Street East.
Cappetto said officers arrested the driver, a 79-year-old man. The suspect claimed he could not stop because he needed to check in on a family emergency. Cappetto said deputies went to check on the suspect’s family and found the family member was in stable condition.
