Burglar Chased Off Property by Homeowners Ends up Crashing Getaway Car Into Tree

A burglar hoping to make a quick escape after being caught in the act was forced to flee on foot after crashing his getaway vehicle into a tree.

According to KHQ, the suspect fled the scene of the burglary near Aspen Grove Land and East Chattaroy Road in Spokane County, Washington, after the homeowners returned.

The Spokane County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) is continuing to search for the suspect behind the raid after they succeeded in evading the authorities.

The SCSO told KHQ that the suspect broke into the home, which was under construction, just after 6 P.M. on Sunday, December 6.

However, the burglar was interrupted when the homeowners returned to the property later that evening. The suspect was still able to make off with a few items.

Any hopes of a speedy exit were quickly derailed when, according to the news outlet, the alleged thief crashed their car into a nearby tree.

They reportedly exited the vehicle soon after and proceeded to take off on foot into a nearby area of woodland.

SCSO officers arrived on the scene with K9 teams and conducted a search of the area. Despite canvassing the wooded area for an hour, they were unable to locate the suspect with investigations ongoing.

Newsweek has contacted the Spokane County Sheriff's Office for comment.

The number of burglaries reported across Washington state remains a source of concern. According to figures compiled by Neighborhood Scout from FBI data in September 2020, there is a one in 37 chance of a resident becoming a victim of property crime, which covers burglaries, motor vehicle theft and general theft from the home.

More specifically, there have been 34,540 burglaries over the past 12 months at a rate of 4.54 per 1,000 people. To put that in perspective, there have been 1,117,696 nationally at a rate of 3.41 per 1,000 people.

This attempted burglary and crash comes just days after a 32-year-old man was arrested after allegedly attempting to flee the scene of a fatal hit-and-run that took place in Washington state. He was arrested thanks to the efforts of an eyewitness who followed his vehicle and reported his license plate to the police.

Elsewhere in Washington, State Patrol troopers were left stunned after a woman cheated death following a seemingly unsurvivable car accident.

The 46-year-old woman was driving her Nissan Altima across the Skagit River Bridge in Mt. Vernon when she was forced to slow down for the car in front of her. However, the large semi-truck behind her failed to stop, leaving her car a mangled and almost entirely crushed wreck. Despite this, she walked away from the crash relatively unscathed.