Troopers slightly injured in crash with suspected car thief

Two troopers and a car-theft suspect suffered minor injuries early this morning after the alleged thief slammed his vehicle into the side of a pursuing State Patrol cruiser near Mountlake Terrace, the State Patrol reported.

The incident occurred just after 1 a.m. at an exit to Interstate 5, State Patrol spokeswoman Christina Martin said.

"One of our troopers was in pursuit of a stolen car, and another trooper was coming to back him up," Martin said.

As the second cruiser joined the pursuit, the fleeing suspect's car slammed into the side of it, Martin said. There were two troopers in the cruiser.

"They were T-boned," Martin said.

The suspect and both troopers were taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Martin said.

The two troopers suffered only minor "scrapes and bruises," she said, while the suspect remained hospitalized as of 7:30 a.m.

The suspect, who has outstanding warrants, is expected to be released from the hospital later today and will be booked initially on the warrants, Martin said. Meanwhile, the State Patrol will continue to investigate today's incident, she said.

Lewis Kamb: 206-464-2341 or lkamb@seattletimes.com