25-time convicted felon arrested after pursuit on railroad tracks, Thurston Sheriff says

A 44-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of multiple crimes Tuesday night following a pursuit that ended in south Thurston County near Maytown, Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders said in a social media post.

Sanders said the man has 25 previous criminal convictions.

“The suspect was immediately recognized as one of our prolific auto thieves,” Sanders writes. “For context, this individual was engaging in high speed stolen car pursuits with TCSO when I was a community service officer with Lacey… a decade ago. He’s got a long track record of invoking pursuits of the highest risk, including driving down the freeway backwards and intentionally trying to ram and kill innocent motorists head on to convince pursuing officers to stop chasing him.”

Around 9 p.m. Tuesday, a sheriff’s deputy spotted an unoccupied stolen truck in Tumwater. Then, a man and woman got inside the truck and drove off, according to Sanders.

“When the deputy attempted to stop the truck, it fled and nearly caused a collision. Deputies backed off and let Smokey track the truck from above,” Sanders writes.

“Smokey” is a Washington State Patrol plane.

Sanders said the truck was driven recklessly to Maytown where it got onto the railroad tracks.

“The driver then rolled the truck off the tracks down an embankment. K9 Bowie and deputies were guided by Smokey to the suspect and his girlfriend, who were taken into custody,” he writes. “The truck was confirmed stolen out of Aberdeen.”

Although the woman was taken into custody, it was not immediately clear what charges she is facing.

The man was booked on suspicion of possessing a stolen vehicle, obstructing a law enforcement officer and attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle, Thurston County jail records show.