A suspected car prowler crashed into another driver during a police chase Wednesday, injuring the woman but not her 2-year-old child, Spokane police said.

Michael L. Bridges, 24, fled in a black Chevrolet Caprice after officers spotted him walking near Everett and Stone, according to Spokane police.

Officer Bob Collins pulled over and turned off his emergency lights at Perry and Rowan out of concerns for public safety, police said, but Bridges continued west on Rowan and crashed into an oncoming lane at Cincinnati about 10 a.m., police said. The Caprice ended up in the front yard of a nearby house.

Police arrested Bridges after a short foot chase and took him to a hospital with minor injuries. He was booked into Spokane County Jail on charges of attempting to elude police and failing to leave information at a collision.

Bridges is well known to police. He was with a 17-year-old who was arrested on Halloween with a stolen car, police said, and he was sentenced to 22 months in prison in January 2007 for second-degree burglary.

In January 2004, Bridges was sentenced to nine months in jail for second-degree burglary and first-degree possession of stolen property. He was arrested again In December 2004 after he jumped out of a moving stolen car and tried running from police, according to news archives. He served three months in jail.

Spokane has seen "a severe increase" in residential burglaries, vehicle thefts and vehicle prowlings, police said.

"Citizens are encouraged to take precautionary measures to help prevent themselves from being a victim," according to a news release. "Anti-theft devices like the Club are available, as well as reminding citizens not to leave their vehicles running to warm the engines during the cold weather."

---

---