Drunk 16-year-old driver caught doing 110 mph in Pasco, say WSP troopers
A drunk 16-year-old was racing back home when a trooper caught him driving 110 mph on Interstate 182 in Pasco, said the Washington State Patrol.
The boy didn’t have permission to take his mother’s Chevy Traverse on Tuesday, the Washington State Patrol said.
When his mom demanded he return with the SUV, he stepped on the gas with his 15-year-old girlfriend in the passenger seat.
WSP Trooper Carlos Mata spotted the teen speeding in the SUV near Road 68 and pulled him over near the Highway 395 exit, said Trooper Chris Thorson in a Tweet.
The teen’s blood-alcohol level was measured at a 0.028 percent, Thorson said.
The trooper arrested the teen driver for DUI, reckless driving and driving without a license.
It’s the latest in a string of speedsters caught on state highways and interstates.
Washington State Patrol officials believe the emptier than usual highways because of the coronavirus stay-home order are tempting drivers to hit the gas pedal.
Thorson said during his 21 years working in the Mid-Columbia region the top speed he’s seen by a driver was 126 mph, but that has been broken by recent speeders being clocked going 132 mph.
This story was originally published May 13, 2020 at 10:30 AM.