Teen Driving Grandma's Car Evades Deputies, Crashes Into House, Runs: Sheriff

PARKLAND, WA – A 15-year-old male, driving his grandmother's car without permission, fled on foot in the Tacoma area after allegedly attempting to avoid deputies in a high-speed chase and crashing the vehicle into a home, rupturing its gas line, and leaving an injured female passenger in the back seat, according to officials.

Deputies early on Tuesday morning spotted a silver Toyota Corolla with three "young" occupants suspiciously parked near a closed trailer business along the 10800 block of Aqueduct Drive East where the road dead-ends near State Route 512, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department said.

As the deputies drove toward the car, a male exited the front passenger seat and ran behind large containers at the business. Officers parked near the Toyota to speak with the driver and a back-seat passenger. However, as one deputy stepped out of his patrol car, the driver allegedly revved the Corolla's engine and the car accelerated toward the deputy, who had to jump against his car to avoid being hit, the department said.

The motorist sped down Aqueduct Drive, turning north onto Golden Given Road East, ignoring stops signs, and nearly striking a disabled vehicle parked on the side of the road, the agency said. As the vehicle passed 85th Street East, the driver lost control, drove through a fence and crashed into the corner of the house, according to officials.

The driver ran into a nearby field, leaving an injured 15-year-old female in the back seat of the car, deputies said. He was apprehended about 75 yards into the foot chase, tackled to the ground by a deputy and handcuffed, the department said.

Another deputy, meanwhile, smelled "an overpowering odor" of natural gas and heard hissing where the car hit the home.

He ordered the teen in the back seat to come out of the car, however, she ignored the commands, "put her head down and closed her eyes," and then was pulled from the car by the officer, the department said, adding that the home's residents were evacuated.

Central Pierce Fire & Rescue arrived, treated the driver and passenger for injuries, and the gas company was called to handle the ruptured gas line.

The male driver was arrested for suspicion of assault in the second degree, attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle, taking a motor vehicle without permission and vehicular assault. His parents were notified and the Toyota reportedly belonged to the suspect's grandmother and was taken without permission while his parents were asleep, the department said.

The female passenger reportedly told deputies that she asked the driver to stop the vehicle multiple times, but the suspect purportedly refused to let her out, telling her to "shut up" as she was "stressing him out," the sheriff's office said.

The other passenger, who took off running at the initial stop, was not identified.

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--Image via Pierce County Sheriff