Suspected drunk Pasco driver hits car head-on then flees, leaving 1 injured

Franklin County Sheriff’s Office deputies are investigating a suspected felony hit-and-run 25 miles north of Pasco Sunday morning, the agency posted on social media.

The driver suspected of causing the two-car crash may have been under the influence of alcohol and ran from the site of the wreck on Highway 17 at Mesa, said the sheriff’s office.

A Washington State Patrol report said Jesse J. Flores, 29, of Pasco, was driving north on Highway 17 near the Highway 395 interchange at Mesa about 6:45 a.m.

His Saturn Sport Coupe crossed into the southbound lane and hit a Toyota Scion driven by Adrian Mora, 22, of Othello, said the Washington State Patrol.

Mora was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland by ambulance.

The sheriff’s office said that Flores was found a short time after the crash by Franklin County deputies, with the help of Jason McGary, operations chief for Franklin County Public Hospital District 1.

Troopers said Flores appeared to be visibly intoxicated. He agreed to field sobriety tests, which he failed, but did not agree to a portable breath test, according to court documents.

Flores allegedly told deputies he was sorry, and alternated between saying he had been driving to Moses Lake and that he was not driving.

He also slumped over and fell asleep while in the back of the patrol vehicle, court documents said.

Flores has a history of assault and weapons charges, as well as misdemeanor hit and run and DUI, according to court records.

Highway 17 was closed for several hours between Highway 395 and Pepiot Road in Mesa.

This story was originally published August 10, 2025 at 2:21 PM.