Bellingham police search for driver of stolen truck that ran red light, hit patrol vehicle
Bellingham Police are searching for the driver of a stolen truck that ran a red light, slammed into a patrol vehicle and narrowly missed two pedestrians in a cross walk along Meridian Street and left the scene Thursday night.
The officer in the patrol vehicle at the time was not seriously injured in the crash, Lt. Claudia Murphy told The Bellingham Herald in an email Friday.
Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office deputies initially reported spotting the truck and attempted to stop it at approximately 11:13 p.m. March 3 along West Bakerview Road near Interstate 5, according to Murphy.
Rather than pulling over, the driver sped away eastbound on Bakerview, and deputies did not initiate a pursuit, complying with current laws, Murphy reported.
Shortly afterward, a Bellingham Police Chevy Tahoe was driving north along Meridian approaching Bakerview at normal traffic speed, when the stolen truck, still traveling at “a high rate of speed” ran a red light a hit the patrol vehicle in the rear quarter panel in the intersection, Murphy reported.
The stolen truck came to a stop in the intersection after losing its driver’s side front wheel, and the driver ran away, according to Murphy.
Police started a track with K9 Destro, who located a mask, flashlight and handkerchief police said belonged to the driver, Murphy reported, but the driver was not found. Crime scene investigators processed the stolen truck.
The sheriff’s office is handled the investigation into the vehicular assault and hit and run, while the Washington State Patrol is handling the crash report, according to Murphy.
“We are grateful the BPD officer sustained no major injuries in this crash,” Murphy wrote. “It should be noted there were two pedestrians in the crosswalk just seconds before the driver of the stolen truck sped through the intersection after crashing into the BPD Tahoe.”
The truck had been reported stolen out of Bellingham earlier in the day, Murphy reported, after the owner reported seeing the truck in its parking spot on Wednesday evening but noted it was missing when he arrived at work on Thursday.
