One dies following chase, plunge into Tacoma marina

A Tacoma man is accused of leading police on a high-speed chase and driving a stolen car into a marina, killing his passenger.

Just before 10 p.m. Saturday, a Tacoma police officer ran the license plate of a car and determined it had been stolen, said Officer Mark Fulghum. The officer called for backup and began following the stolen Saturn on South 19th Street at West Union Avenue.

The officers pulled the car over at South Stevens Street, Fulghum said. While one officer was ordering the driver to turn off the car, the driver sped away.

"Our guys started out after it... and the driver blew through a light" at South 19th Street and South Mildred Street, Fulghum said. The officers called off the high-speed pursuit because it was too dangerous but continued following the car.

"Our guys continued westbound, knowing 19th dead ends at the marina," he said. The first officer to arrive at the marina watched the car as it was sinking and saw one man, the driver, climbing onto the dock.

The officers had previously seen two people in the car and the driver confirmed that his passenger was still inside the sinking vehicle, Fulghum said. A police dive team rescued the second man, who had been submerged in the cold saltwater for just under 30 minutes, he said.

According to Tacoma Fire Department Lt. Mike Neely, the passenger died at the scene. The man's name has not been released.

Both men are in their 30s and live in the Tacoma area, Fulghum said. The driver was booked into the Pierce County Jail at 2:45 a.m. today on suspicion of vehicular assault, possession of stolen property and eluding police.