Thanks to a CHS reader for the picture from the scene

The driver of a stolen school bus was arrested Tuesday morning after crashing into the parking lot of 23rd Ave’s Wood Technology Center after a 15-minute police chase that included the empty bus smashing into parked cars, a Metro bus, and the Judkins Station construction site along the way.

Seattle Police says the man, believed to be a bus service employee not authorized to drive the vehicles, stole the bus just before 8 AM near S Horton and Colorado Ave S:

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 finally crashed the bus into the 23rd Ave school parking lot where he attempted to flee on foot and was quickly taken into custody. Police say the suspect was to be booked on vehicular assault and auto theft charges.

The northbound lanes of 23rd Ave from Dearborn to King were closed during the investigation.

SPD says minor injuries were reported from some of the collisions and asked any property damage victims to contact police. “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,” the department’s bulletin on the incident read.

$5 A MONTH TO HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE THIS SPRING
🌈🐣🌼🌷🌱🌳🌾🍀🍃🦔🐇🐝🐑🌞🌻 
Subscribe to CHS to help us hire writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. To stay that way, we need you.

Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for $5 a month -- or choose your level of support 👍