A sheriff’s deputy rescued a screaming man from a burning SUV moments after a high-speed chase ended in a crash.
The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy spotted the suspect traveling about 20 miles per hour over the speed limit on State Highway 104 in Kingston, Washington, at approximately 11:30 p.m. Monday.
The driver allegedly refused to stop and accelerated away, reaching speeds of 111 miles per hour, according to authorities.
A Kitsap County Sheriff’s deputy breaks the driver’s-side window of a burning SUV after it crashed, attempting to rescue the man trapped inside following a high-speed chase in Kingston, Washington, on the night of Sept. 21, 2026. (Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office)
The deputy said he lost sight of the SUV before spotting tire marks on the roadway and thick smoke nearby. He followed the trail and found that the man had driven into a yard, crashed into a tractor and set the vehicle ablaze, according to body camera footage and photographs released by officials.
In the video, the deputy initially tried to reach the driver through the side window, striking it with his flashlight. He stopped after the trapped man yelled, “I can’t get out that way!”
The deputy then rushed to the passenger side and repeatedly struck the door handle with the edge of his flashlight as flames rose from the engine and intensified, the body camera footage showed.
The sheriff’s deputy moves to the passenger-side door while trying to rescue a man trapped in a burning SUV on Sept. 21, 2026. (Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office)
A Port Gamble police officer soon arrived with a fire extinguisher and knocked down the flames. The footage then shows the deputy pulling the injured man from the wrecked SUV.
North Kitsap Fire and Rescue crews responded and airlifted the man to a hospital for treatment.
Two police officers pull the suspect from the SUV after extinguishing the fire following the Sept. 21, 2026, crash. (Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office)
The man faces two charges: attempting to elude a police officer and reckless driving.
Authorities have not released his identity.