Crime

Drone used to find suspected drunk driver after he abandoned 2 hurt passengers

An alleged drunk driver ran away from the scene of a crash at the corner of East Third Avenue and Yew Street leaving two hurt passengers behind.
An alleged drunk driver ran away from the scene of a crash at the corner of East Third Avenue and Yew Street leaving two hurt passengers behind. Courtesy Benton County Sheriff O
Kennewick, WA

Benton County deputies used a drone early Wednesday to find a suspected drunk driver who abandoned two injured passengers after crashing into a concrete barrier.

Norverto Escovedo, 31, was allegedly driving east on East Third Avenue when he lost control on a tight turn onto Yew Street about 4:15 a.m., Benton County Lt. Mike Clark told the Tri-City Herald

The car slammed into a concrete barrier and came to a stop in the yard of a nearby house.

A suspected drunk driver ran from the scene of a crash at the corner of East Third Avenue and Yew Street leaving two hurt passengers behind.
A suspected drunk driver ran from the scene of a crash at the corner of East Third Avenue and Yew Street leaving two hurt passengers behind. Benton County Sheriff Office

By the time deputies arrived to investigate, the driver and a passenger had fled, leaving two injured passengers inside, the sheriff’s office posted on Facebook.

The injured passengers were taken to a hospital to be checked, and deputies began searching the area just east of the Kennewick city limits.

A car with four people inside crashed into a concrete barrier in Finley, injuring two people.
A car with four people inside crashed into a concrete barrier in Finley, injuring two people. Benton County Sheriff Office

Investigators using a drone found Escovedo near the Columbia River. He was arrested and taken to a local hospital before being booked into the Benton County jail for DUI. Other charges were under investigation.

A car was heavily damaged, and two passengers injured, with a suspected drunk driver slammed into a concrete barrier in Finley.
A car was heavily damaged, and two passengers injured, with a suspected drunk driver slammed into a concrete barrier in Finley. Benton County Sheriff Office
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Cameron Probert
Tri-City Herald
509-416-6478
Cameron Probert covers breaking news for the Tri-City Herald, where he tries to answer reader questions about why police officers and firefighters are in your neighborhood. He studied communications at Washington State University.https://mycheckout.tri-cityherald.com/subscribe?ofrgp_id=394&g2i_or_o=Event&g2i_or_p=Reporter&cid=news_cta_0.99-1mo-15.99-on-article_202404
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