An underage driver was arrested Saturday, July 11 in Burien after deputies said a hit-and-run involving parked vehicles was followed minutes later by a nearby rollover crash.
Deputies were dispatched around 10 a.m. Saturday to a reported hit-and-run involving parked vehicles, according to the Burien Police Department. Before they cleared that call, deputies received another call about a serious collision nearby.
When deputies arrived at the second scene, they found a vehicle upside down on a property where a yard sale was reportedly being held. The driver, who was still inside the vehicle, suffered minor abrasions.
Deputies reported smelling alcohol while speaking with the driver. The driver agreed to voluntary field sobriety tests, and deputies determined the driver was impaired, according to police.
A witness from the original hit-and-run identified the driver as the person who had struck the parked vehicles before fleeing and crashing, police said.
The driver was arrested and taken to the police station for further investigation. Police said the driver later provided a breath sample of 0.202, more than two and a half times Washington’s legal limit of 0.08 for drivers 21 and older.
He was arrested and booked for:
- DUI (Under 21)
- Reckless Driving
- Two counts of Hit and Run
“This incident is a reminder that impaired driving doesn’t just put the driver at risk, it endangers everyone sharing the road,” police said in a statement. “In this case, what started as a hit-and-run quickly turned into a rollover crash. Thankfully, no innocent motorists or pedestrians were seriously injured. Drive responsibly, look out for one another, and help keep our community safe.”
