Suspected DUI driver blamed for Highway 240 tie-up

A West Richland woman is suspected of being drunk or high when she caused a wreck Friday, tying up rush-hour traffic on Richland’s bypass highway.

Deborah L. Patterson, 53, turned left from Highway 240 on Swift Boulevard in front of an oncoming car, said the Washington State Patrol.

Her Chevy Malibu collided with a Dodge Journey SUV, blocking the intersection, said the WSP.

Patterson and the second driver, Philip A. Doras, 57, of Kennewick, were treated at Kadlec Regional Medical Center and later released.

The crash and the investigation blocked traffic for more than an hour.

The state patrol cited Patterson with DUI and not yielding the right of way.