Suspect Runs from Late-Night I-5 Crash, Found in Old Empty Fridge

Just before midnight last Sunday night near Custer, Washington, a regular collision call quickly turned into one of those “you can’t make this up” moments for the Washington State Patrol.

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Trooper Kelsey Harding told the strange story on X (formerly Twitter) about how officers from multiple agencies, including the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, Ferndale Police, and Bellingham Police, all responded to a crash near milepost 268 on I-5.

X @wspd7pio

Routine Crash Turned into Strange Manhunt Near I-5

What seemed like a routine response to a vehicle collision turned strange when the driver of one of the vehicles decided to run from the crash scene.

Thanks to teamwork and some serious tools, law enforcement was able to quickly deploy K9s to track along with a drone search. Those are two resources that have become game-changers in modern policing.

The suspect might hope to vanish by hiding in the dark, but those strategies left little room for escape with infrared heat vision and the K-9's sense of smell.

The Suspect was Found Hiding in an Old Empty Fridge

The search ended after the suspect was found hiding inside an old, unplugged refrigerator. Yes, you read that right. Of all the hiding spots to choose from, this one was creative but ultimately ineffective.

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What I find important about this story is how the agencies involved worked together to find the running suspect so quickly. A potentially dangerous situation of an unknown suspect fleeing after a crash was resolved quickly and safely.