Originally published February 3, 2010 at 7:01 PM | Page modified February 3, 2010 at 7:01 PM

4 police cars crash in Everett chase

Four police patrol cars crashed early Wednesday while pursuing a suspected car thief in Everett.

Seattle Times staff reporters

Four police patrol cars crashed early Wednesday while pursuing a suspected car thief in Everett.

All four officers were taken to the hospital. Three were treated and released, but one was expected to stay overnight with more serious injuries.

The suspect, 32-year-old Andrew Holden, of Snohomish County, was booked into Snohomish County Jail. He has been wanted on an active escape warrant from the state Department of Corrections.

The 2:40 a.m. crash involved two Snohomish County sheriff's vehicles and two Everett police cars, according to an Everett Police Department news release.

The crash occurred after one of the sheriff's deputies chased a car, believed to be stolen, through North Everett. The suspect left the car at Hewitt and Broadway avenues and fled, and the deputy parked his car to pursue him.

That's when the second sheriff's car arrived, crashing into the first deputy's parked car, which spun and struck an Everett officer who had arrived to assist in the chase, according to the release. The officer's car also was struck.

A fourth car, driven by an Everett officer, swerved to the right to avoid the other vehicles and crashed into a concrete planter on the sidewalk.

The entire incident happened within seconds, said Sgt. Robert Goetz, an Everett police spokesman.

The Everett officer struck by the sheriff's car, a 28-year-old with about 2 ½ years of law-enforcement experience, suffered two broken wrists and a broken knee, Goetz said. He was expected to remain in Providence Regional Medical Center overnight.

The officer whose car struck the planter, a 23-year-old with about 1 ½ years of law-enforcement experience, was treated for two broken fingers suffered when his air bag deployed.

Holden is wanted for investigation of several vehicle thefts in Lynnwood, police said. He was profiled on KCPQ-TV's "Washington's Most Wanted."

The Sheriff's Office is reviewing whether the deputies followed protocol in operating their vehicles, spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said.