A Washington State Trooper stopped a runaway truck as it rolled backward downhill following a collision by striking it with her patrol car.

A Chevrolet pickup truck was reported as blocking the center lane of westbound State Route 18, just east of Weyerhaeuser Way, with no lights on around 7 a.m. Sunday. A few moments later, the Chevrolet was hit by a Kia Sportage and began to roll backward. A trooper, who was responding to the blocking truck report, approached the area as the truck gained speed as it rolled downhill. The trooper used her patrol car to strike the truck, bringing it to a stop in Lane 1, and avoiding a potentially deadly crash for an unsuspecting motorist.

Once the Chevrolet was stopped, the trooper went to check the driver only to discover the truck was unoccupied. The driver of the Chevrolet, who had walked away from the scene, said she had walked off for help.

In an instance where a vehicle becomes disabled in the lanes, the Washington State Patrol recommends the driver stay securely in the vehicle, activate any emergency lights that function and call 911 as soon as possible. 911 dispatchers not only send help when notified but give safety advice, like turning on emergency flashers, which someone under stress might not think of. In this instance, the driver for the Chevrolet had a functional cell phone but did not call 911. Fortunately, there were no injuries associated with this incident.