Three injured in three blue bridge crashes 22 minutes apart

Three people were injured Sunday afternoon in three collisions 22 minutes apart that slowed traffic on the blue bridge, officials said.

At 1:15 p.m., Leslie A. Gordian-Torres, 17, of Pasco, lost control while merging onto the northbound Highway 395 bridge from Highway 240, and struck a guardrail and light pole at the south end of the bridge with the 1992 Mitsubishi Gallant she was driving, said the Washington State Patrol.

The state patrol said she was driving too fast for conditions.

At 1:32 p.m., Francisco Saucedo, 43, of Pasco, drove a 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara over the crest of the southbound blue bridge. The State patrol said he struck from behind a 2002 Mercedes, driven by Alireza Hemati Arass, 60, of Richland, which was stopped in traffic.

At 1:37 p.m., Raudel Cargas Gomez, 50, of Pasco, drove a 1995 Suzuki Sidekick over the crest of the southbound bridge. The state patrol said he then drove into the back of a 2003 Cadillac, driven by Maria C. DeSantiago, 46, of Pasco, who also was stopped.

Gordian-Torres, Cargas Gomez and Ghahraman Roksana, 52, of Laguna Niguel, Calif., a passenger in Hemati Arass’ vehicle, were taken to Trios Southridge Hospital in Kennewick, the state patrol said. Trios did not have a record of the patients when contacted Sunday evening.

The others involved in the crashes were uninjured.

Gordian-Torres’ vehicle was totaled, Cargas Gomez’s vehicle was impounded, while the vehicles driven by Saucedo, Hemati Arass and DeSantiago were driven from the scene, the state patrol said.

Gordian-Torres faces a second-degree negligent driving charge, while Saucedo and Cargas Gomez face charges of driving too fast for conditions, the state patrol said.

This story was originally published November 8, 2015 at 4:04 PM with the headline "Three injured in three blue bridge crashes 22 minutes apart."