Cars flip, motorcycle burns & drivers are hospitalized in dramatic Tri-Cities crashes

A suspected teen drunk driver, a fiery motorcycle wreck and a dramatic George Washington Way collision kept Tri-City officers busy over the weekend.

Police responded to four serious crashes starting late Friday, mostly tied to suspected drunk or speeding drivers, according to law enforcement Facebook posts.

The weekend started with the arrest of an 18-year-old for DUI in Benton City, Benton County Sheriff’s Lt. Mike Clark told the Tri-City Herald.

The teen lost control and crashed a Jeep SUV into a retaining wall on Horne Drive on Friday evening. It was a low-speed collision, so he didn’t go through the wall, Clark said.

Deputies found him at the crash scene when they arrived. He was the only one in the car.

He was taken to an area hospital where his blood was taken for testing and he was arrested, Clark said.

Kennewick crash

About 3:20 a.m. Sunday, Brayan Melendez-Giron, 24, hit the gas at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Olympia Street, Commander Isaac Merkl told the Tri-City Herald.

The westbound car swerved into the eastbound lane, before hopping the curb and hitting a retaining wall in front of Red Rose Storage. The car flipped and landed on its top.

Investigators found Melendez-Giron at the scene, and believe he was drunk when he crashed, Merkl said. He was taken to an area hospital but his injuries were not life threatening.

Richland collision

Later that day, several people reported seeing two vehicles collide on George Washington Way near the entrance of the Wendy’s and Panda Express about 5 p.m.

The road was blocked and bystander photos from the scene show a flipped SUV in the southbound lanes.

Both drivers were taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, said Claire Venema with the Richland Police Department. Police released no other details to the public.

A Tri-Cities lost animals Facebook group reported a dog was missing after it ran from one of the crashed cars.

Motorcycle fire

Last Sunday, a speeding motorcycle rider lost control on the Bob Olson Parkway in Kennewick about 10:40 p.m., said police.

When police arrived near the intersection with South Montana Street, the motorcycle was on fire, Kennewick police said in a Facebook post.

The fire ignited a grass fire and that Kennewick firefighters need to put out.

The rider was taken to an area hospital, though his injuries were not life threatening.

Merkl said police have been dealing with a rash of speeding drivers on the Bob Olson Parkway, south of Thompson Hill in Kennewick.

While he didn’t know how fast this rider was going, there have been several drivers pulled over by officer after they were driving much faster than the 40 mph speed limit.