Update | WA arts commission member arrested for DUI after Tri-Cities crash
A former Benton County commissioner candidate was arrested Thursday night for driving under the influence after he crashed just outside the Richland city limits.
Justin J. Raffa, 41, of Richland, was booked into the Benton County jail at 2:45 a.m. Friday on one count of DUI, according to public jail records.
A Washington State Patrol trooper responded to a one-car crash on Highway 240 near the entrance to George Washington Way shortly before 11:30 p.m. Thursday, said WSP Trooper Chris Thorson.
The person who spotted the crash said the car was facing the wrong way after damaging five sections of the concrete barrier, he said.
Raffa was arrested at the scene.
Raffa is the artistic director for the Mid-Columbia Mastersingers and is in his third term as a member of the Washington State Arts Commission. He has become a prominent member of the Democratic Party in Benton County.
He was unsuccessful in his campaign to unseat Benton County Commissioner Jerome Delvin in 2020. He also applied to be appointed to an open Richland City Council seat in 2022 but was not chosen as a finalist.
This story was originally published September 16, 2022 at 12:56 PM.