Tri-City streets stayed relatively trouble-free over the weekend as thousands of fans flocked to the Columbia River to watch unlimited hydroplane boats speed across the water.
Police on both sides of the river reported few traffic-related problems, with the most arrests made by Washington State Patrol special-emphasis patrols and sheriff's boat patrols.
"For the most part, (sheriff's marine officers) said people were responsible and well-behaved and under control," said Benton County Sheriff's Department Lt. Joe Lusignan.
Deputies did, however, arrest six boaters on suspicion of boating under the influence of alcohol and one was jailed for violating a protection order.
The BUI arrests were made after marine patrol deputies stopped boats to inspect safety equipment or for speeding in no-wake zones and found the boat operators were intoxicated, Lusignan said.
Some boaters were found to have blood-alcohol levels that were nearly twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent, he said.
Deputies also made two DUI arrests over the weekend, and Richland police jailed four impaired drivers, officials said.
Kennewick police reported just four DUI arrests throughout the city, with two arrests occurring inside Columbia Park on Sunday, said Sgt. Ken Lattin.
"It was a relatively quiet weekend," he said.
The story was the same in Pasco, where officers made just two DUI arrests from Friday to Sunday, said Capt. Jim Raymond.
Another eight drivers suspected of DUI were booked into the Franklin County jail over the weekend by
Washington State Patrol troopers and Franklin County sheriff's deputies, jail records show.
Extra troopers from Yakima, Sunnyside and Walla Walla helped patrol Tri-City highways looking for speeders, aggressive drivers and DUIs during Water Follies weekend. Data still is being compiled from the special emphasis patrols, which included the DUI Aerial Response team, but Benton County jail records show 23 drivers were arrested on suspicion of DUI..
Troopers also stayed busy with several minor collisions and a couple of hit-and-run crashes but there were no alcohol-related crashes, said Lt. Jason Armstrong.
"I would characterize the weekend as extremely successful, especially since we didn't have any felony collisions, fatalities or serious-injury collisions," he said.
w Paula Horton: 582-1556; phorton@tricityherald.com
Most drivers in the Tri-Cities appeared to make the right choices while celebrating the new year by not drinking and driving.
No fatal or serious-injury crashes were reported over the holiday weekend in Benton and Franklin counties.
Officers in the Tri-Cities also participated in extra DUI patrols as part of the state's holiday DUI enforcement campaign that began on Thanksgiving and ran through Jan. 2.
Washington State Patrol arrests 161 across state for DUI during holiday
Washington State Patrol troopers across the state arrested 161 drivers suspected of being impaired by drugs or alcohol during the Christmas holiday weekend.
That is down from 194 arrests during the same period in 2010 and does not include arrests made by local sheriff's deputies or city police officers.
Oregon State Police troopers reported 28 DUI arrests, down from 36 DUI arrests during last year's 78-hour reporting period. More than half of the DUI arrests occurred Dec. 24.
CRIME: Eltopia man accused of impersonating police officer
A 44-year-old Eltopia man was arrested late Thursday for allegedly impersonating a police officer.
Franklin County sheriff’s detectives are now looking for any other citizen who may have been stopped or have information on the suspect.
Deputies were called at 11:30 p.m. after a Connell resident said they were on Highway 395 near Mesa and had pulled over by another vehicle whose driver was flashing their headlights, said Detective Jason Nunez.
Kennewick man accused of ramming into trooper's car
KENNEWICK -- A 31-year-old Kennewick man suspected of drunken driving on Highway 395 is accused of ramming his car into a trooper's patrol car twice before being arrested.
Washington State Patrol Trooper James Zane tried to stop Steven Barrett Silliman around 9:50 p.m. Monday after clocking him going 51 mph in a 35-mph zone on Highway 395 at Seventh Avenue in Kennewick, court documents said.
Silliman allegedly failed to stop at 10th Avenue, and Zane began chasing him as Silliman turned onto South Ely Street. Zane said Silliman ran a red light at 27th Avenue and continued through the intersection at 60 mph, documents said.
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