A man who walked away from a mental hospital caused multiple wrecks running on I-5

LAKEWOOD, Wash. — When police first saw the man, he was walking down railroad tracks in Lakewood.

They hollered at him to move away from the tracks. Officers were concerned because he “looked unsteady,” records show.

The 22-year-old man ignored them at first, then grabbed his cell phone and threatened to call police before sprinting down the tracks.

Officers followed.

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As the man reached the Thorne Lake off-ramp, he allegedly darted onto Interstate 5 and caused multiple car crashes.

He also threw his cell phone at a pursuing officer, hitting the officer in the mouth and cracking several of his teeth.

The man eventually stopped running and allowed police to take him into custody.

What Lakewood officers didn’t know at the time was that Roy police picked him up earlier Friday and took him to a hospital as a voluntary commitment after he exhibited mental health issues and admitted to using methamphetamine.

“He decided to walk away from the hospital and was trying to make it to Roy on foot,” according to charging papers.

On Monday, Pierce County prosecutors charged the man with second-degree assault, second-degree criminal trespass and pedestrian interference with traffic.

He is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon.

KIRO