A state trooper rolled his car multiple times while chasing two reckless motorcyclists, one of whom returned to taunt the injured trooper trooper, officials said.

The incident happened on the northbound ramp from Interstate 5 to State Route 599 at approximately 6:45 p.m. Tuesday.

Washington State Patrol Trooper Cliff Pratt said the trooper was chasing a group of at least nine members of a south King County motorcycle group who were speeding dangerously and getting too close to cars. As the trooper tried to close in on the fastest biker, he told Pratt that two other bikers cut him off.

“Had he not slowed down and slammed on the brakes, he would have hit them,” Pratt said. “At his speed that made him lose control.”
The trooper’s vehicle rolled several times, finally landing in a ditch alongside the ramp.

“It’s infuriating when all we’re trying to do is enforce the laws in the state of Washington and protect the public, said Pratt. “Obviously these motorcycles traveling at 100 miles per hour with no regard for the safety of anybody else is a huge problem for us in this area.”
As he waited for help to arrive, one of the motorcyclists he’d been chasing returned to the scene, Pratt said. The motorcyclist parked across the street, approached the mangled patrol car on foot, then laughed and clapped at the injured and bleeding trooper before speeding off.

“Now you’re talking about a state trooper who rolled his car several times. He’s obviously injured, pinned inside his vehicles and you’ve got a couple of motorcyclists who really don’t care whether this trooper lives or dies at this point, to the point where they think it’s funny,” Pratt said.

Investigators believe they have the motorcyclists’ registration information, Pratt said, and they are searching for the two people. No description was available.

Passersby stopped to help and call 911, and the trooper was pulled out of his car by emergency crews and taken to Harborview Medical Center where he was treated for serious injuries, including a head injury. He was released early Wednesday morning.

He was identified as 46-year-old Brian Salyer of Spanaway. He is a 22-year veteran of the force.

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It’s no surprise that Valentino Rossi earns a ridiculous amount of money — with sponsorships and endorsements, Sports Illustrated says it’s $35 million annually — but it is surprising just how little some of the backmarkers earn. Colin Edwards on $325,000?

These estimates come from GPOne and are salary only, they do not included endorsements and sponsorships, which, in Rossi’s case, can double a rider’s salary.

Valentino Rossi: $15.5 – 19.5 million
Jorge Lorenzo: $5.2 – 9 million
Casey Stoner: $6.5 – 9 million
Dani Pedrosa $3.9 – 5.2 million
Andrea Dovizioso: $1.9 – 2.6 million
Marco Simoncelli: $1.9 – 2.6 million
Loris Capirossi: $1.9 million
Ben Spies: $1.3 – 2.6 million
Alvaro Bautista: $1.3 million
Randy De Puniet: $650,000 – 1.6 million (if he signs with Suzuki)
Marco Melandri: $650,000
Mika Kallio: $450,000
Colin Edwards: $325,000
Aleix Espargaro: $325,000