LYNNWOOD, Wash. — An SUV filled with mail that may have been stolen flipped on Interstate 5 in Lynnwood during a police chase near Alderwood Mall that closed three southbound lanes overnight.
Police said a Snohomish County deputy and a Washington State Trooper spotted the Chevrolet Trailblazer going southbound in the northbound lanes of I-5 early Wednesday. It then made an illegal U-turn in an emergency turnout between the northbound and southbound lanes then headed south.
The deputy caught up to the Trailblazer about 2:30 a.m. and bumped its rear side to execute a PIT maneuver. The SUV rolled over in the southbound lanes near 196th Street Southwest, but the man and a woman who were inside had only minor injuries.
The 29-year-old Kent man who was driving the SUV was arrested by officers at the scene. He was evaluated at a local hospital and then booked into Snohomish County Jail. The woman was detained for a short time and was then released.
When the vehicle rolled, several items, including mail and technology items in shopping bags, were ejected. These items were collected by patrol and have been given to detectives to determine if they are stolen.
"This could have been a real catastrophe had they hit someone head-on. We’ve seen that in the past where on wrong-way vehicles get in crashes, but sheriff's deputies did a great job and were able to get this thing stopped," said Trooper Keith Leary.
The Sheriff’s Office said the SUV was stolen. The couple was taken into custody.
A lot of debris was thrown from the vehicle.
Investigators said there was a large quantity of mail inside the SUV, addressed to dozens of different names. They are checking to determine if the mail was stolen.
Officers said drug paraphernalia and multiple sets of keys were also inside the SUV.
Deputies said the stolen SUV was the same one they spotted Tuesday in the same area.
KIRO
