DUI Arrest After Driver Crashes into WSDOT Construction Zone in Kent

Last Friday night in Kent, Washington, routine construction on SR-516 near I-5 quickly turned scary when a driver barreled through an active construction zone and slammed into an excavator.

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The crash happened around 11 pm, and luckily, no one was injured.

The Driver Tried to Run, But WSDOT Workers Stopped Them

According to Trooper Rick Johnson with the Washington State Patrol, the driver didn’t stick around to see the damage. Instead, they jumped out of the vehicle and tried to run from the scene on foot. The construction zone workers themselves took chase, tackled the suspect, and held them until Troopers arrived.

Maybe the WSDOT workers were tired of the rash of construction work zone crashes they had experienced over the last few years. They obviously have had enough.

I will say the drunk driver could not have hit a larger or more solid target than the huge yellow excavator they chose to crash into late Friday night.

The Washington Driver's BAC Was Over Twice the Legal Limit

Before being arrested, the driver submitted to a preliminary breath test (PBT) and showed a .183 blood alcohol content. That is more than twice the legal limit of .08.

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The tackled DUI suspect was taken into custody when police arrived on suspicion of DUI, just another case to the long list of alcohol-related WSDOT construction zone driving incidents that could have ended far worse.

A Wake-Up Call Before the 4th of July Holiday

This crash should be a sobering reminder (no pun intended) as we head into the summer celebration season, but I am afraid it still falls on deaf ears. One of these days, the consequences will be deadly for either the driver, WSDOT road workers, or innocent motorists. We can't stay this lucky forever.

Please stop and think before you drink and drive.