A driver fleeing police ran a red light and crashed into a car occupied by a family of four, injuring all of them, including a 4-year-old child who was critically injured, according to police.
A Puyallup officer tried to talk with a man in a “suspicious vehicle in a business parking lot” at 9:59 a.m. in the 100 block of 31st Avenue Southeast, according to a Puyallup Police Department news release. The driver drove out of the parking lot “recklessly,” and the officer did not give chase, police said.
About two minutes later, officers responded to the intersection of 31st and the onramp to eastbound Highway 512.
The driver, 21, had crashed into a vehicle turning left onto the highway, according to police. He was taken to a hospital and remained under investigation for vehicular assault.
The four people in the other vehicle were taken to a hospital. Puyallup police noted a child, 4, had the most severe injuries.
Officers expected to close the intersection “for an extended period of time” for an investigation.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.