Washington State Patrol troopers arrested an Olympia man on suspicion of hitting another car Tuesday night and injuring three people, then fleeing the scene.

The 34-year-old man was booked into Thurston County Jail on suspicion of vehicular assault and felony hit-and-run.

The most seriously injured was a 4-year-old boy, who was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center for treatment of facial injuries, the State Patrol reported.

Troopers reported the man was driving a Subaru Legacy wagon east on Yelm Highway when he lost control at Normandy Road about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. The wagon struck a 1992 Isuzu Amigo, which left the road, hit a metal fence and rolled onto its roof, troopers reported.

The wagon crossed into oncoming traffic, left the roadway, struck a fence and came to a rest in a parking lot.

The driver of the wagon ran away from the crash. He was found several minutes later and arrested, troopers reported.

The 4-year-old boy was a passenger in the Isuzu Amigo. The car's driver and a 10-year-old boy also were injured. They were taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital for treatment of minor injuries, troopers reported.

The State Patrol reported the two children and driver of the Isuzu were properly restrained.

The road was closed for more than four hours as troopers investigated. They were looking into whether drugs or alcohol were factors.

Pfc. Wheatley

Fort Lewis officials have identified the soldier missing from the Nisqually River as 23-year-old Pfc. Robert Lang Wheatley, Jr.

Wheatley, of Arcadia, Calif., was rafting with fellow soldiers on Sunday when the rafts capsized. He is assigned to Battery C., 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade.

Thurston and Pierce County officials are working with fellow soldiers from Wheatley's unit to find the missing man. More than 200 soldiers are searching along with divers, police dogs, helicopters, and an airplane.

Wheatley joined the Army in 2005. He was deployed in Iraq from April 2007 to June 2008.

An 8-year-old Lacey boy called police Tuesday morning to report that his dad was hitting his mom.

When officers arrived to the house, they found the boy's father on the front porch covered in blood. He allegedly stabbed his wife, who was able to flee to a neighbor's house. She was taken to St. Peter's Hospital and underwent emergency surgery.

Officers said the child's 17-year-old older brother was awakened by the noise of his parent's fighting. He tried to break up the fight, which gave his mother the chance to flee..

The father, 39, was arrested on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder and second-degree attempted assault.

Lacey police are searching for a man who robbed a bank branch this morning.

The man entered the Heritage Bank, 5800 Rainier Loop S.E., just after 10:30 a.m. He handed the teller a note demanding cash, police reported.

The robber took an undisclosed amount of money and fled southbound, police reported.

Witnesses described the bandit as Asian or Pacific Islander, mid- to late 20s and 5 feet 7 to 5 feet 8 with a slender build. He appeared as though he had a light beard (described as a "few days growth of a beard") and short, black hair. He wore blue jeans and a long sleeved, black, button-up shirt with a white shirt underneath.

The agency released surveillance photos of the suspect in hopes of identifying him.

Lacey police ask anyone with information to call the Police Department at 360-459-4333 or Olympia/Thurston County Crime Stoppers at 360-493-2222.

A Pierce County man was arrested Tuesday for allegedly robbing a Lacey bank and then trying to buy a new car at an Olympia dealership.

Dagan Walters, 30, allegedly waked into a Washington Mutual branch at 8225 Martin Way East on Monday, said he had a gun and demanded cash. He left in a older station wagon.

Lacey Police say Walters applied for insurance to buy a car at Rainier Dodge in Olympia. Police found out that the suspect was at the dealership Tuesday afternoon, and found a car Walters had reportedly stolen in the parking lot. Lacey and Olympia police officers arrested the man at the dealership.

He was booked into the Thurston County jail on charges of first-degree robbery, first-degree theft, possession of a stolen vehicle and a warrant from the Department of Corrections for escape.

A luring incident in Lacey is the second to hit the Lake Pointe Housing Development within a week.

At about 4 p.m. on Wednesday, an 8-year-old girl walked out of her home on Stockton Street Southeast in Lacey to pick up a toy on the ground. A red car pulled up, the driver walked out and said "Come here little girl." The passenger in the car gave the driver a "thumbs up," Lacey Police said. The girl ran into her home. The car, reportedly a red Dodge Daytona, has tinted windows and the front passenger window is covered with plastic. The driver is described as 5-foot-10, in his teens with a medium build. He was wearing a red shirt with blue stripes, a wallet chain and black boots. The passenger is described in his mid-teens, with short cropped dark hair and a blue shirt.

A witness saw a similar car in the area, occupied by one white man and one Hispanic man.

At about 3 p.m. on Feb. 5, an 11-year-old male got off a school bus and was walking home when a white van with the word "Flowers" written in pink. pulled up. Two men jumped out and chased the boy, who was able to make i home. The first suspect is described as a white man, about 6-foot-1 wearing blue jeans and a Carhart jacket. The second suspect is described as a 5-foot-6 Hispanic man.

Anyone with additional information is asked to call Lacey Police at (360) 459-4333.

Photo courtesy of Lacey Fire District 3.

Lacey firefighters had to use the "jaws of life" to free a teenage driver whose car wrapped around a tree on Willamette Drive this evening.

Lacey Fire District 3 firefighters responded to a call at about 5 p.m. for a late model Honda that left the roadway and smashed into a tree in the 2600 block of Willamette Drive. It took about 35 minutes to free the driver, who was taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital.

Willamette Drive was reduced to one lane of traffic while crews worked on the car, and Lacey police are investigating.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for several area rivers from this evening through Friday afternoon.

Several counties are listed, including Pierce and Thurston.

Thurston County officials sent out the following information about the flood watch:

A series of warm fronts will bring heavy rain to the region through Thursday night and is expected to result in major flooding on the Deschutes, Chehalis and Skookumchuck rivers. People along these rivers should prepare for flooding and be ready to act quickly when the National Weather Service issues a flood warning.

Deschutes River: The NWS predicts that the Deschutes River will reach flood stage of 11 feet near Rainier on Wednesday morning and is projected to crest around 16.5 feet overnight Wednesday. The river is forecasted to drop below flood stage Thursday night. Typically this level of flooding can result in widespread flooding of roads and structures.

Chehalis River: The Chehalis River is predicted to reach flood stage of 14 feet at the Grand Mound gage midday Wednesday and crest just below 20 feet late Thursday night. Typically this level of flooding results in the closure of local roads and Highway 12.

Skookumchuck River: The NWS predicts that the Skookumchuck River will reach flood stage of 13.5 feet near Bucoda Wednesday afternoon, and crest around 17.5 feet on Thursday morning, dropping below flood stage on Friday.

Residents are advised to take steps to safeguard life and property and be prepared to leave on short notice. Livestock should be moved to higher ground, and plans should be made for the safe transfer and housing of household pets. River residents are reminded that conditions can change rapidly and are urged to keep an eye on their rivers and to listen to local media for updates.

Here are details about the roof collapse of an Olympia high school sent out by the Olympia Fire Department.

(Olympia, WA) Olympia Fire Department responded to a call at 2707 Congor Rd NW, Capital High School. An automatic fire alarm system activated causing a call to Thurston County Dispatch at 0455 AM. The first units arrived at 0504. An intrusion, burglar, alarm was also transmitted at the same time. Upon arrival crews found alarms sounding, water flowing and a strong smell of natural gas. Crews turned off the gas and water to the building and were able to see inside the front entrance that a portion of the ceiling had collapsed likely from a roof collapse. The structure was unsafe to enter at this point due to the presence of gas and the threat of further collapse. The probable cause of the collapse was due to the weight of snow, ice and water on the roof of the building. The situation required the assistance of Puget Sound Energy, PSE, to secure the gas and monitor for safe levels before firefighters could evaluate the inside of the building. PSE also turned off all power to the building. After determining that there was no threat from the gas level, firefighters were able to enter the secure portions of the building to evaluate the damage to the structure. Initial evaluation suggests about 2,500 square feet of roof collapse and water damage throughout the structure. The library may have received the most water damage and was also in the collapse zone. Inspectors from City of Olympia, Community Planning and Development (Building Department) will worked with the Fire Department and School District officials to determine which portions of the building are unsafe and how to secure the structure to limit further damage. Olympia School District Officials will be working with the City and structural engineers to determine the full extent of the damage to the structure, the feasibility of stabilizing the collapse and what steps will be required to re-open the building.

Olympia Fire Department responded 3 engines, 1 ladder truck, two Medic Units and command staff to the scene. Olympia Police, Olympia Community Planning and Development (Building) Department and Puget Sound Energy also responded. There were no injuries to any responders and there were no school staff at the facility at the time of the incident.

Owners of buildings with flat roofs are encouraged to evaluate their structures for signs of problems and to keep scuppers (roof drains) open and clear of snow, ice or debris until snow and ice have melted.

The Olympia-Lacey area appears to have taken the brunt of the bad weather during the overnight snow storm.

There are reports of compact snow and ice on Interstate 5 through northern Thurston County. Wind gusts also were reported, making for hazardous driving conditions.

A Washington State Patrol dispatcher for Pierce and Thurston counties reports most of the problems during this morning's commute have been concentrated in the greater Olympia area. (The highways in Pierce County, by contrast, are bare and wet.)

One Thurston County dispatcher said it's worse today than any previous day this week.

8:45 a.m. UPDATE: Here's a list of road closures from the City of Olympia. These roads were closed because of snow and ice as of 8:30 a.m.

4th at Rogers
4th at Sherman
5th at Sherman
4th at Olympia Way
Sherman and Garfield
Brawne and Rogers
Brawne and Foote
Brawne and Sherman
Brawne and West Bay
Raft Hill
Elliott Avenue
Crest Line Boulevard
San Francisco and Quince (the entire hill is closing)
Berry and Nilas
Berry and E. Bay Drive
Bigelow and Eastside
7th at McCormick and Central
10th at Fir Street and Central

City crews work first on hills, curves, bridges and intersections on primary streets to allow access to main services and to help provide access for Fire, Police and emergency services. When primary routes are treated and safe for travel, snow plows then move to secondary routes.

The Olympia Police Department reports an Olympia officer shot and killed a man following a car chase and traffic stop that ended in nearby Lacey.

Lt. Jim Mack says the officer fired at least one shot, killing the man Saturday morning.

According to Mack, at about 12:30 a.m., Olympia police responded to a report of a man being shot in the leg in Olympia. He says a witness was able to give officers a description of a vehicle seen fleeing the scene.

Mack says that at about 5:43 a.m. an officer sighted the vehicle and the driver failed to pull over when police attempted to stop it. Officers then gave chase, assisted by Lacey police officers.

The vehicle was eventually stopped in Lacey, where the shooting took place.

The Renton man killed early today when he crashed a semi-truck along Interstate 5 in Olympia has been identified as Cheikh Faty, the Thurston County Coronor's Office reported.

Faty was 49.

Here's a previous story about the incident.