THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. — The Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders was injured Sunday in a collision with a pickup truck driver in Yelm, according to the Thurston County Sheriff's Office (TCSO).
Due to his injuries, Sanders was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center. The sheriff was in satisfactory condition before he was released Sunday night, according to TCSO.
The other driver was uninjured.
At around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sanders was driving his department vehicle southbound on Lawrence Lake Road in Yelm when a pickup truck traveling east on 153rd Avenue Southeast pulled out in front of him.
The driver in the pickup truck was identified as a 30-year-old Yelm man who "showed signs of impairment," according to TCSO. The Washington State Patrol (WSP) is investigating the collision and will make the final determination as to whether the incident was a DUI crash.
There were three DUI incidents in Pierce County this weekend. On Saturday, one DUI driver was stopped on I-5. A fire truck that responded to the scene to provide medical aid was then struck by another DUI driver who was also arrested at the scene.
Early Sunday morning, a man who was driving the wrong way on I-705 north in Tacoma struck another car, killing the driver. The DUI driver and passengers in both cars were sent to the hospital.
According to WSP Trooper Robert Reyer, WSP has investigated 92 vehicle collisions involving impaired drivers in Pierce and Thurston counties so far this year. He said 68 of those cases resulted in property damage, another 14 caused injuries, and one death.