A man from Benton City entered a not guilty plea in court over accusations that he was drunk driving during an injurious car accident last month. The 56-year-old man allegedly drove through a stop sign, struck another car and then fled the scene of the crash. Police say he left a seriously injured mother and her son at the crash site.
According to authorities, the accused man actually dragged the struck car down the road partially as he tried to leave the scene because his pickup truck had been entangled in the wreckage of the other car. However, as the man drove away, he scraped a clear path to his home where he parked it.
The injured mother was transported to Kadlec Regional Medical Center, along with her son. She had hip and should injuries, and the 15-year-old son had an injury to his leg.
The teenager said that just before the crash, his mother had come to pick up at his work, and they were heading home. Following the collision, the inebriated man exited his vehicle, and then ran away after he heard the sirens of emergency vehicles.
Later, Sheriff’s Deputies followed the man to his home by looking for tire marks and scraped pavement. When they knocked on the door, he told them to wait a minute. Soon after, police found him trying to escape out of the back door. Allegedly, he could barely walk and his words were slurred.
When an intoxicated driver causes an injurious accident in Washington, victims can fight back in court by pursuing a personal injury claim against the driver. If successfully navigated, victims in these cases can retrieve money to pay for their medical care, pain and suffering, time spent unable to work and other categories of damages.
Source: Tri-City Herald, “Benton City man accused of DUI wreck, leaving 2 injured behind,” Laurie Williams, March 17, 2017
