SEATTLE — A high-speed police pursuit on northbound Interstate 5 ended in a PIT maneuver in Seattle Wednesday morning.
Three right lanes of northbound I-5 near Michigan Street were initially closed around 10:35 a.m. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) said all lanes reopened to traffic just before noon.
“Be aware of the tow on the right shoulder, and note there was a four mile-long backup, so may take a while to get back to normal,” the department tweeted.
Washington State Patrol (WSP) Public Information Officer Trooper Rick Johnson said troopers spotted a woman in a vehicle who appeared impaired at a Federal Way rest area. The woman reportedly took off at a high speed and rammed a patrol vehicle when troopers attempted to approach her.
Johnson said troopers “observed obvious signs of impairment prior to receiving permission to pursue” the vehicle.
WSDOT cameras captured the chase and showed a vehicle swerving in and out of traffic and side-swiping multiple vehicles along the way.
The chase ended with multiple WSP patrol vehicles using a PIT maneuver to stop the driver.
A PIT, or Precision Immobilization Technique, maneuver is a technique used by law enforcement to force a fleeing vehicle to abruptly turn 180 degrees, causing the vehicle to stall and stop, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The WSP said the driver, who has a felony warrant for her arrest, was taken into custody.
No injuries have been reported.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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