A Burlington DUI crash following a police pursuit left four people injured early Wednesday and led to the arrest of one driver, police said.
BURLINGTON, Wash. — A high-speed pursuit ended in a two-vehicle crash early Wednesday, injuring four people and leading to the arrest of a suspected impaired driver, Burlington police said.
The incident started around 3:35 a.m., when an officer saw a vehicle speeding north on Burlington Boulevard near Pease Road. The officer turned on emergency lights and attempted a stop. However, the vehicle accelerated away and disappeared. As a result, the officer turned off the lights and continued to patrol.
A short time later, the officer reached Burlington Boulevard and Fairhaven Avenue. There, he found that the same vehicle had crashed into another car.
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The second vehicle carried a 27-year-old Bellingham man and a 33-year-old Sedro-Woolley woman. Police said the man suffered critical injuries after he was ejected, and an air ambulance flew him to Harborview Medical Center. Meanwhile, rescuers freed the woman from the car and took her to Skagit Valley Hospital for treatment.
The fleeing vehicle carried a 24-year-old Mount Vernon man driving and a 20-year-old Burlington man as a passenger. Crews extricated both men and later transported them to Harborview with serious injuries. Paramedics evaluated the driver at the scene and determined he had only minor injuries.
According to police, the driver showed signs of intoxication. Officers then arrested him and booked him into the Skagit County Jail on investigation of driving under the influence, vehicular assault and attempting to elude.
The 27-year-old victim remains in critical condition. However, police said they do not yet have updated conditions for the others. The investigation is continuing.
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