‘#NotAcceptable’ WA state troopers catch 110+ mph speeders in Tri-Cities

Three times in just over one week, troopers have stopped people speeding in excess of 110 on highways around the Tri-Cities.

It’s a problem that more troopers across the state are reporting, and Washington State Patrol officials think there is a connection to the stay-at-home orders during the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’ve been noticing ... the troopers have been stopping some really high numbers in terms of miles per hour,” Trooper Chris Thorson told the Tri-City Herald.

“We don’t know exactly what is going on but we think it might have something to do with less cars on the roadway, so more open space to drive fast.”

Thorson, who’s worked in the Mid-Columbia region for 21 years, said he had an all-time high record of 126 mph that stood for a long time.

Then, just five minutes into his shift the morning of March 20, Thorson was merging onto Interstate 82 near Badger Canyon in Kennewick when he caught an Infiniti sports car doing 132 mph.

The driver told Thorson he was traveling from Kent to Louisiana and it was anticipated to be a four-day drive.

“I told him, ‘Well, if you keep this up, you’re going to get arrested in every state between Washington state and Louisiana,” he said. That section of highway is 70 mph.

The driver was given a criminal citation for reckless driving, which includes a court appearance with a judge assessing fees and fines.

However, because of COVID-19 restrictions at the county jail, people are not being booked in on misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor charges unless it is domestic violence-related or for driving under the influence, Thorson said.

So they are being arrested and then let go, he added.

This past weekend, Trooper Carlos Mata clocked two speeders in Pasco during consecutive shifts.

A 17-year-old was arrested at 8:30 p.m Friday for reckless driving for driving 125 mph in a 55 mph zone. The traffic stop was on Highway 395 at Court Street, which is considered a high-traffic area.

And early Saturday evening, Mata was again patrolling the Tri-Cities roadways when he came upon a car speeding 111 mph in a 70 mph zone on Interstate 182.

That driver just received a speeding ticket, in particular because no other cars were around at the time.

Thorson, who posted about both recent traffic stops on his Twitter account, used the hashtag “Not Acceptable.”

The trooper said he has never heard of a car being stopped that fast on Highway 395 in the congested area just north of the blue bridge.

“With all this coronavirus stuff, a lot of people have a lot of anxiety and fear about this virus right now,” said Thorson. “The last thing we need to deal with right now is people out on the roadway putting others in danger because they’re being selfish and think they can drive fast.”