LACEY, Wash. — The Thurston County sheriff was hit by a suspected impaired driver early Sunday morning in Lacey, according to the Thurston County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff Derek Sanders was driving southwest on Martin Way East in Lacey when a car heading the opposite direction crossed over the center line.
Sanders' patrol car was struck, but first responders say he was walking after the crash. He was taken to the hospital for a medical evaluation.
The suspect driver fled the scene, but was found a short time later, the sheriff's office said. The female driver was booked into jail for driving under the influence and hit-and-run charges.
Sanders was sworn-in as sheriff in 2022, and has been with a sheriff's deputy since 2016.
On his Facebook page, Sanders said the oncoming car T-boned his patrol vehicle; he also had a lateral deputy sheriff recruit riding with him who was not injured.
Sanders said his car was totaled in the crash.
"Happy to be alive, happy that my passenger is unharmed, and extremely grateful for the response from our regional law enforcement partners to ensure a swift capture," he said on his Facebook page, "but I’m going to say it again… Washington’s roads are unsafe."
Washington State Patrol is handling the investigation.