WSP, Tri-City police patrol for distracted drivers

The Washington State Patrol and other Tri-City law enforcement agencies will be on the look out for distracted drivers in the coming months.

There will be extra patrols on Highway 240 between Hanford and Kennewick, a stretch of highway where troopers suspect distracted driving is responsible for a number of crashes.

The special patrols began Oct. 1, according to a WSP news release. The Benton County Sheriff’s Office and police in Richland and Kennewick also will take part in the patrols.

The state Department of Transportation will put up signs along the highway to remind drivers of the patrols.

Troopers handle an average of 18 collisions each month on the 14-mile stretch. That’s nearly half of all the crashes in the Tri-Cities over the same time period.

This story was originally published October 1, 2015 at 8:18 PM with the headline "WSP, Tri-City police patrol for distracted drivers."