Police arrested a man in the Central District Tuesday morning after he stole a 33,000 pound unoccupied school bus and spent approximately 15 minutes ramming vehicles and fleeing from officers in SODO and the Central District.
At 7:51 AM, police received a report that a man had stolen an empty bus near South Horton and Colorado Avenue South.
The suspect then drove through SODO, swerving across traffic, running red lights, and appeared to purposefully ram other vehicles.
The suspect headed east, reaching Rainier and McClellan, ramming additional vehicles along the way.
Because of the ongoing risk to the public, police pursued the suspect, who reached speeds upwards of 50 miles an hour.
The suspect continued north on Rainier, turning onto 23rd Avenue, where he struck a King County Metro Bus and later crashed into a light rail station construction site at 23rd Avenue and Judkins Street.
The suspect fled from the stolen bus a short distance away and was quickly arrested by officers.
Several major roads will be partially or fully closed, including the northbound lanes of 23rd Avenue from Dearborn to King Street, as police investigate. The suspect will be booked for vehicular assault and auto theft.
At this time, the suspect is believed to be a bus service employee, who was not authorized to drive buses.
We will update this post with more information as it becomes available.
Several minor injuries have been reported to police, but investigators are still seeking witnesses or other victims in this incident. If you believe your vehicle or property was struck by the suspect in the school bus in SODO, Beacon Hill or the Central District this morning, please call 911.
