Intoxicated Tri-Cities driver hit 2 cars and finally a gas pump. Then came the fire
An intoxicated driver nearly caused a fiery disaster after crashing into a Kennewick gas pump.
The woman was heading north on Kellogg Street when she hit a car near the Clearwater Avenue intersection shortly before 9:30 a.m., Officer Seth Reil told the Tri-City Herald.
She then crashed into a SUV in the intersection before careening into a Circle K gas station.
The car stopped when it hit a gas pump and caught on fire. The driver managed to get out as it was rolling backward.
Quick action by a gas station clerk to shut off the fuel helped keep the fire from getting worse, said Fire Chief Chad Michael.
Kennewick firefighters arrived within three minutes and had the fire out within three minutes, he said. They were joined by Richland and Pasco fire departments and Benton County Fire District 1.
The driver tried to slip away during the confusion, but a nearby business owner spotted her walking away and called police, Reil said.
Officers stopped her about two blocks away and arrested her.
Police got a warrant for a blood sample, Reil said.
While police did not release the driver’s name, but jail records show Precious Elizabeth Gibson, 21, was booked on suspicion of three counts of hit-and-run, DUI and driving without a license.
No one was hurt in the fire or the collisions.
This story was originally published November 5, 2021 at 5:00 AM.