Lynnwood, WA : Three people injured in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 5 in Lynnwood on Wednesday, February 4, 2015

A wrong-way driver in a stolen SUV crashed on Interstate 5 after a police crash early Wednesday, scattering debris across the freeway that investigators say may all be stolen.

The drama unfolded at about 2:30 a.m. when a Snohomish County deputy spotted a stolen SUV - the same one that had eluded officers during a pursuit the day before - as it headed south in the northbound lanes of I-5.

As the deputy watched, the driver of the stolen SUV then darted onto the median and turned around at the I-405 interchange.

The deputy took off in pursuit and was able to perform a pivoting PIT maneuver to stop the fleeing vehicle. The SUV then flipped over, scattering debris across three southbound lanes of the freeway.

Deputies and state troopers then moved in and arrested the driver of the stolen vehicle.

Sgt. Keith Leary of the Washington State Patrol says the outcome of the incident could have been a lot worse, especially at the start when the SUV was heading south into northbound freeway traffic.

"We're lucky we didn't have a head-on fatal crash," he says.

The investigation now moves well beyond a stolen vehicle. Leary told KOMO News that the vehicle was full of property - computers, CDs, clothing and mail addressed to dozens of different people - all possibly stolen and strewn across the interstate.

There was so much debris across the roadway that the Department of Transportation called in a street sweeper crew to clean it all up for the morning commute. Three southbound lanes were blocked for several hours but have now reopened.

The driver of the stolen SUV, a 29-year-old Kent man, and his female passenger were taken to the hospital to be checked out. The driver was later booked into jail for investigation of possessing a stolen vehicle and attempting to elude. The woman was released.

Detectives are checking the mail, electronics and clothing to see if they are stolen.

Source :
Wrong-way driver crashes on I-5, spilling stolen loot on freeway