Portland police chase driver suspected of stealing Washington firefighter’s pickup

Portland police officers chased a vehicle into Vancouver on Thursday, but they ended the pursuit shortly before the driver reportedly crashed.

A KOIN-TV reporter posted a photo on Twitter showing a wrecked pickup at East Mill Plain Boulevard and North Devine Road.

Portland Police Bureau Sgt. Kevin Allen said in an email that the truck was stolen from a Washington firefighter, but he did not indicate what agency.

Officers located the pickup in the area of Northeast 58th Avenue and Halsey Street in Portland and subsequently tried to pull it over. The driver of the truck sped off, heading north on Interstate 205 into Vancouver.

After crossing the state border, Portland police say they terminated the pursuit. The truck somehow crashed in central Vancouver.

“The suspect driver was arrested and is in the custody of the Vancouver Police Department,” Allen said.

The driver is being treated at a hospital, police said.

Vancouver Police Department spokeswoman Kim Kapp identified the suspect as Vincente L. Burciago Jr., 30. Burciago was booked into the Clark County Jail on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office may add charges to the case based on its investigation into the vehicle theft, Kapp said.