Carjacking suspect in custody after chase on I-5 from Tacoma to Marysville

A carjacking suspect is in custody after a pursuit from Pierce County to Snohomish County that spanned more than 80 miles on Tuesday.

Troopers told KIRO 7 the chase started in Tacoma when the suspect carjacked a Toyota Prius.

The suspect then got onto I-5 and drove north.

Several agencies responded.

When the suspect reached Lynnwood, he drove over a median and continued to head northbound in the southbound lanes all the way to Marysville.

Troopers used spike strips to slow down the car, which crashed head-on into another vehicle before coming to a stop.

“Once those tires were deflated, he swerved into that left lane and struck another vehicle head-on. Luckily, the speeds were so slow that there was almost no damage and no injuries from that,” said Trooper Rocky Oliphant.

According to Oliphant, after the crash, the suspect tried to get into the driver’s seat of the car he crashed into, but the driver had locked his doors.

The 27-year-old driver, who’s from Centralia, was taken into custody.

No injuries were reported.

Investigators say in addition to carjacking and eluding officers, the suspect is facing DUI charges.

The suspect, who was later identified as Eliud Osvaldo Medoza Pinal, made his first court appearance on Wednesday. Investigators said he was high on drugs and took three troopers to subdue him. His bail was set at $250,000.

Cox Media Group