RITZVILLE, Wash. — All lanes on eastbound I-90 at mile post 255 are reopen after a police pursuit ended in a single vehicle crash and fire. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) confirms one of their asphalt trucks was stolen on Tuesday morning in Washtucna, causing a nearly four-hour lane closure.
According to police, the suspect, Lance Rogers, was firing at vehicles In Yakima. He then drove to Washtucna and walked into a WSDOT lot and presented a gun. He proceeded to take an asphalt truck and police began to pursue him.
Washington State Patrol (WSP) used spike strips to get it to stop. The truck caught fire after hitting the spike strips and coming to a stop.
“I didn't know what was going on," Josh La Cross, a witness to the chase, said. "For a minute, I thought maybe it was just some sort of escort there was an emergency.”
La Cross was out for what he believed would be a normal morning drive when he saw six law enforcement officers chasing the truck down. He told KREM 2 he saw police throw out spike strips to slow down the truck, but the truck didn't slow down until the fourth attempt to stop it.
“I watched the officers make several attempts to go around him but then they stopped," La Cross explained. "Maybe thinking the vehicle was too big to stop with their vehicles.”
WSP Sgt. Greg Riddell said the pursuit went on longer than he would have liked because of the size of the truck, but he is thankful that no one got hurt.
Rogers surrendered to police without incident after the truck was stopped. He was booked into jail with the following charges:
- First-degree robbery
- First-degree attempted robbery (three counts)
- Second-degree assault (five counts)
- Theft of motor vehicle
- aiming or discharging firearms
- Third-degree malicious mischief
Washington State Department of Transportation Stolen
WATCH RELATED: Police chase ends in crash and car fire on I-90 east of Ritzville
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