Driver arrested after hitting cop car, 3 other vehicles

SEATTLE - A 22-year-old man is behind bars after he hit a police car and three other vehicles with his truck late Saturday, then fled on foot before he was captured, Seattle police said.

One of the vehicles that he hit caught fire, but firefighters quickly responded and doused the flames.

The incident began at about 10:15 p.m. Saturday when an officer in a patrol car spotted a man recklessly driving a Ford pickup truck west on NW 62nd Street at 14th Avenue NW, said Seattle police spokesman Jeff Kappel.

The officer tried to pull over the pickup, but the suspect tried to back the truck away and struck the officer's car, causing minor damage to the car but no injury to the officer.

The suspect then fled the scene in his pickup. While fleeing, the suspect hit three other parked and unoccupied vehicles with his pickup, sparking a fire in one of the vehicles.

The suspect's pickup truck finally ground to a halt due to damage from all the collisions. The man then jumped out the truck and ran from the scene on foot.

As Seattle firefighters arrived on scene and put out the vehicle fire, officers chased after the suspect. He was found and arrested in the 1400 block of NW 63rd Street next to a house.

The suspect was later booked into the King County Jail for investigation of felony eluding and felony hit-and-run.