A Washington State Patrol trooper was injured when his patrol vehicle struck a concrete jersey barrier in Tacoma this morning during a high-speed pursuit, a spokesman said.
The trooper lost control of his vehicle on northbound I-5 at Yakima, said Sgt. Tom Martin. Icy roads were a factor in the accident. The trooper’s vehicle was believed to be traveling at a high rate of speed, Martin said.
The trooper was trying to catch up with Puyallup Tribal police to assist them in pursuing a stolen vehicle around 6:35 a.m. today, Martin said. The trooper sustained minor neck and back injuries and was transported to Tacoma General Hospital. He was released in the afternoon, and he has not been named. The accident is under investigation.
Tribal Police on I-5? I don’t think there is such a thing as “minor neck and back injuries” to a State Trooper…why do we still have such a valuable human being risking his life to chase a “stolen car”? As for me, I would like to see the officers take a safer approach and not lose their future as a trooper due to “neck and back injuries”. I admit my feelings are influenced by all the needless waste to our police recently, but why not ask the troopers to save themselves FIRST and not treat all the traffic/stolen calls as worthy of a possible life lost….I admire them all….