Tire Theft Suspects Lead Deputies on 90-MPH Chase Before Crash
The mayhem began around 3AM Tuesday morning on Frontage Road at the Commercial Tire location in Moses Lake.
Because of recent reports of burglaries, Deputies were conducting extra patrols in the area. An office saw three men throwing tires from the location into the back of a truck, then speeding off when the Deputy 'lit them up' with this flashers.
The driver, identified as 46-year-old Christopher B. Howard, led Officers on a wild chase that reached 90-mph at times, before crashing the truck near the O'Sullivan Reservoir. The truck failed to negotiate a turn at the T-intersection of State Route 262 and Road M-Southeast.
During the chase, some of the three suspects were throwing items from the back of the truck, in an attempt to hit and disable the pursuing Deputy's vehicles.
Howard had to be extricated from the crash and was taken to a nearby hospital for non life-threatening injuries. The other two occupants, 26-year-old Andrew Z. Palmen and 26-year-old Rikki Ann Garcia-Lalk, were also transported, treated and arrested like Howard.
Deputies were able to recover all of the tires from the vehicle.