Two 100+ mph speeders try to outrun deputies + Accused Richland drunk driver leaves 3 hurt

An accused drunk driver from Richland left three people hurt in an Interstate 82 crash in Yakima.

Jorge A. Espinoza Nieves, 35, was headed east on the interstate about 11 p.m. Monday when he lost control of his Ford Fusion and slammed into another car, the Washington State Patrol said in a traffic memo.

The collision sent a 2021 Nissan Rogue flipping until it landed on its top on the right shoulder of the highway, the state patrol said. The Fusion hit a cable barrier and ended up in the median.

The three people in the Nissan were Estella S. Saiz, 56, Pete J. Saiz, 68, and Savannah M. Saiz, 18, all of Harrah, Wash. All were taken to Multicare Yakima Memorial Hospital. Their condition was not immediately available Tuesday.

Espinoza Nieves was not wearing a seat belt but was not injured. Pete Saiz also had no seat belt, said investigators.

Nieves was booked into the Yakima County jail for DUI, and troopers said he was driving too fast for the conditions.

Franklin County speeders

Franklin County sheriff’s deputies are investigating two incidents involving drivers speeding over 100 mph on rural roads.

The first was at 11:30 a.m. Saturday when a deputy spotted a driver going more than 100 mph south on Sagehill Road.

When the deputy tried to stop the car, the driver sped away, reaching speeds of 120 mph, said a sheriff’s office Facebook post.

After an 11-minute chase, the driver drove into Adams County on Highway 24 and crossed into oncoming traffic at more than 100 mph.

He allegedly nearly hit two cars head on, said sheriff’s Sgt. Scott Wright. Deputies called off the chase at that point because of the danger to the public.

Then with the help of the Adams County Sheriff’s Office and Othello police, they were able to find the car parked at an Othello house, though they have yet to find the driver.

Then at 9:30 p.m. Saturday, a deputy was on Taylor Flats Road near Honeysuckle Road and clocked a driver going 102 mph, said the sheriff’s office.

When the deputy tried stopping the driver, he turned off his headlights and slipped out of sight.

A short time later, a deputy discovered the car had crashed through a vineyard and ended up in a yard on Sagemoor Road near Birch Road.

Juan Diaz Farias, 19, of Franklin County, was seen sprinting toward a backyard and into a nearby vineyard.

Deputies surrounded the area and Pasco police used a drone and police dog to search and find Diaz Farias.

He faces charges of DUI, hit-and-run, eluding a police vehicle, reckless driving and driving without a license, said the sheriff’s office.