By The Associated Press

Trooper arrested on DUI after accident

TACOMA — The State Patrol says a motorist who sideswiped a car in Tacoma and tried to outrun pursuing troopers turned out to be another state trooper.

KOMO reports (http://is.gd/ENKe57 ) that 20-year patrol veteran David Bertholf was driving near Tacoma on Sunday when he sideswiped a car that had slowed for traffic, and then kept going.

Troopers say despite lights and sirens Bertholf didn’t immediately stop. He eventually pulled over and was arrested.

Bertholf was in custody Monday on investigation of driving under the influence, hit and run, attempting to elude a pursing police vehicle. He’s being held at Pierce County Jail on $35,000 bail.

The trooper has received numerous awards for drunk-driving prevention in Pierce and Kitsap counties.

Trooper takes hit to stop wrong-way driver .

SEATTLE — A state trooper took the hit from a wrong-way driver on a Seattle highway in an attempt to stop him and prevent injury to others, the Washington State Patrol said.

Trooper Andrew Boyer was dispatched to a report of a driver going west in the eastbound lanes of Highway 520, said patrol spokeswoman Trooper Julie Judson.

The wrong-way driver was initially reported by a construction worker and had caused a collision between two other cars that crashed while avoiding him.

Boyer had his lights and siren on when he saw the oncoming car just before midnight Monday as a taxicab pulled out of Boyer’s way. It left him boxed in. Boyer knew he was going to be in a collision and took the path he hoped would minimize damage and stop the car.

“He knew he wasn’t going to get out of that situation without hitting something,” Judson said. “So he decided to make the best of it and potentially disable the wrong-way driver and avoid someone having a fatal collision farther down the road.”

Boyer, 27, who works out of the Bellevue WSP office, was jarred but not injured, although he may be sore for a few days, Judson said.

The crash disabled the patrol car with a broken axle. The wrong-way car was able to drive away. It continued to Interstate 5, still going the wrong direction before it broke down.

The driver got out and tried to run away by jumping over a barrier. He fell about 20 feet, was arrested by Seattle police and taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with injuries from the crash and fall, Judson said.

The 26-year-old Seattle man apparently was under the influence of alcohol and will face drunken driving and other charges, Judson said.

From the distance he had driven across the floating bridge, he apparently was unaware he was going the wrong way, Judson said. There were a lot of 911 calls from other drivers who nearly collided with him.

“It didn’t seem to faze him,” she said. “Very dangerous.”

—————————

Trooper stops speeding car, finds 3 kids and dog in trunk

SEATTLE — The State Patrol says troopers found three children locked in the trunk after pulling over a speeding car on Interstate 405 near Bothell.

Spokesman Keith Leary says 28-year-old Anna Boyle and her fiance 27-year-old Aaron Johnson were booked into Snohomish County Jail Sunday on investigation of multiple charges, including drug possession and reckless child endangerment.

Boyle, who was driving the car, didn’t tell troopers about the children in until they heard thumping sounds from the trunk.

Leary says troopers opened the trunk and found Boyle’s children — ages 5, 7, and 8 — and a small dog. They were taken into protective custody.

The spokesman says Boyle told police the children had crawled back there, but troopers noted that the back seat was filled and there were no child safety seats.

Eds: APNewsNow.

SEATTLE — The Washington State Patrol says troopers found three children locked in the trunk after pulling over a speeding car on Interstate 405 near Bothell.

Spokesman Keith Leary says 28-year-old Anna Boyle and her fiance 27-year-old Aaron Johnson were booked into Snohomish County Jail Sunday on investigation of multiple charges, including drug possession and reckless child endangerment.

Boyle, who was driving the car, didn’t tell troopers about the children in until they heard thumping sounds from the trunk.

Leary says troopers opened the trunk and found Boyle’s children — ages 5, 7, and 8 — and a small dog. They were taken into protective custody.

The spokesman says Boyle told police the children had crawled back there, but troopers noted that the back seat was filled and there were no child safety seats.