Driver slams into car, flipping it off Richland highway. Then runs away

Troopers are looking for the driver involved in a Sunday night crash that sent two Tri-Citians to the hospital and then ran away.

The hit-and-run was just after 8 p.m. on Interstate 182 in Richland near the twin bridges.

The missing driver was heading east in a black Dodge Charger when it slammed into the back of a Nissan Altima, the Washington State Patrol said. The crash pushed the Altima off the road where it flipped.

Andrew R. Zimmel, 23, and Madeline A. Spets, 23, both of West Richland, were taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, where they were treated and later released.

The Charger’s driver ran off, and investigators were still searching for the person on Monday.

The crash was the first of two wrecks on Benton County highways that sent people to the hospital.

Vidal Rivera, 21, of Benton City, was driving east on Interstate 82 in a Nissan 350Z when he lost control just after 11 p.m. Sunday.

The car rolled and ended up in the median about one mile west of Benton City, the state patrol said.

Rivera also was taken to Kadlec, where he was treated and released later.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation, and citations are pending.