Suspect rams Washington County deputy’s cruiser, evades authorities

A suspect in Washington County rammed a deputy’s cruiser early Wednesday morning and then avoided being captured.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said deputies attempted to initiate a traffic stop at 2:46 a.m. in Newport. The vehicle they attempted to stop turned out to be stolen and the driver fled.

When authorities cornered the suspect in a dead end on 12th Avenue, the driver rammed a deputy’s cruiser, the sheriff’s office said.

Authorities’ pursuit of the suspect then continued until the driver fled on foot and escaped. As of Wednesday afternoon, the suspect was not in custody.

While the deputy’s cruiser sustained some front-end damage, nobody was injured.