Two people are dead, and two are in critical condition at the hospital after an early morning pursuit with troopers ended in a crash.
Washington State Patrol (WSP) troopers say the car was going over 130mph when it sped past them on SR-167 at around 1 a.m.
The crash happened just moments later, on SR-18 at the Enchanted Parkway and I-5 on-ramps.
One of the troopers on the scene said that in his 35-year career, this is one of the most violent crashes he has ever seen.
The trooper says the speeding car lost control, hit a guardrail, rolled over, and then smashed into a pole.
The trooper who was chasing the car reported the car swerving and veering between lanes before the crash.
Washington State Patrol Trooper Rick Johnson says four people were inside that sedan.
“The two that were ejected, I believe, are the ones that are at the hospital, and from what I understand, two deceased inside the vehicle,” Johnson said.
The two injured people were taken to Harborview Medical Center. As of 10 a.m. Thursday morning, they were both in critical condition.
Neither WSP nor Federal Way Police has released the names, genders, or ages of any of the victims.
Johnson tells us the trooper involved in the pursuit did not do any PIT or tactical maneuvers leading up to the crash, but because of their involvement, the Federal Way Police are handling this scene.
“They are trying to figure out who was driving and any other circumstances involved,” he added.
He tells us this is a graphic scene for the investigators to process.
“I mean, all of these [crashes] are preventable; we don’t know what was on the mind of the driver and why they were going that fast or why they would not pull over when we try to stop them. It is a tragedy,” Johnson said.
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