Seattle Car Chase Suspect Who Crashed 5 Vehicles Had 2 Previous DUIs, Police Say

A suspect who allegedly led authorities on a harrowing chase through the streets of SeaTac, Wash., on Sunday has a history of driving under the influence, police said.

Sheriff's deputies responded to a 911 call Sunday after someone reported a suspicious man "prowling cars" in the parking lot of a local high school, KOMO reports. The suspect, who was in his car when police arrived, reportedly stepped on the gas and rammed a deputy's cruiser, sparking the chase.

Police say the man, whose identity won't be released until he is charged, hit at least three other vehicles before totaling his own when he flipped over a car belonging to professional harpist Juliette Stratton.

"He pushed me for a while and flipped my car over, and so I'm hearing glass crashing, and I thought it was the end," Stratton told KOMO.

The suspect was arrested after a foot chase and reportedly told deputies he had two previous DUIs. The suspect is thought to have had stolen goods in his car, according to police.

The King County Sheriff Department told KIRO that the 27-year-old suspect has "a long criminal history" and may face felony assault charges for ramming the police cruiser.

This is not the first time a fleeing suspect has intentionally collided with police cars in Seattle this year. In July, a "screaming suspect" rammed four police cruisers after allegedly trying to stoke a confrontation with officers in West Seattle.

In September, a car chase in Phoenix, Ariz., ended in tragedy when the suspect shot himself. The incident played out on live television, and host Shepard Smith apologized to Fox viewers for airing what appeared to be a suicide. The man was declared dead at the scene.

"We're all very sorry. That didn't belong on television," he said to viewers.

(via Fark)

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