Police say he was driving drunk when he fled. He received a sobering ticket

An alert witness helped police catch an alleged drunk driver who fled from a crash on Interstate 182 in Richland on Tuesday.

The witness said he saw Richardo J. Cervantes, 48, of Mabton, rear-end a Ford Fusion with a Chevy pickup as they were heading east on the highway at about 4:40 p.m., said Washington State Patrol Trooper Chris Thorson.

A passenger in the Fusion, Candice Barrios, 32, of Richland, was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center.

The witness followed Cervantes as he drove back to a Pasco home. The witness then called 911.

Pasco police responded and found Cervantes was drunk.

Neither Cervantes nor the Fusion’s driver, Amilcar A. Hernandez-Ocampo, 32, of Las Vegas, were hurt.

The Washington State Patrol cited him for driving under the influence.

This story was originally published November 8, 2017 at 5:38 PM with the headline "Police say he was driving drunk when he fled. He received a sobering ticket."