Suspected DUI Driver Crashes Into Tacoma Church: Deputies

TACOMA, WA — Two people have been arrested after a chase that ended with a car plowing into a Tacoma church early Friday.

According to the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, just after 1:30 a.m. Friday, a deputy was on patrol on Portland Avenue E. in Tacoma when they saw a green Lexus sedan with a headlight out. The car was heading towards the intersection with 72nd St E. and the deputy pulled up behind it, presumably to warn them about the headlight. But as the patrol car drew close, deputies say the Lexus took off: first pulling an illegal u-turn across all four lanes of Portland Avenue, then speeding through the parking lot of the nearby KeyBank.

Deputies say the car then pulled around the bank and continued west on 72nd, speeding and swerving until it ran a red light. As it was running the light, the car lost control and hit a church building at the corner of the intersection. Though the church was damaged in the crash, no injuries have been reported.

Both the car's driver and passenger were then taken into custody. The sheriff's department says their deputies found the driver "smelled heavily of intoxicants" and was slurring his speech. As a result, the 24-year-old man has been booked under suspicion of DUI, reckless endangerment and a felony charge of attempting to elude law enforcement.

Shortly afterward, deputies received a blood draw search warrant to test the suspects blood alcohol levels, and he was taken to a nearby hospital to have his blood drawn. The exact results of that test have not been released.