SPOKANE, Wash. — A Spokane County deputy’s patrol car was hit by a suspected drunk driver on North Crestline Street.
According to a press release from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, the incident occurred on Wednesday just before 11 p.m. Deputies said they were responding to a call for service when a truck driven by a 70-year-old man crashed into their patrol car.
Deputies said the driver continued down the road for a “considerable distance” before eventually stopping. Deputies made contact with him and found he was not injured.
During the interaction, the driver claimed he was “enjoying himself” and had been drinking “mostly beer.” Deputies said they observed signs of intoxication and asked how much he had drunk; he responded, “More than I should’ve.” The driver also admitted to using marijuana earlier in the evening, stating he wouldn’t have hit the patrol car if he hadn’t consumed too much alcohol. He later declined to undergo voluntary field sobriety tests.
The driver was arrested and booked into Spokane County Jail for driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol after being medically cleared at the hospital. A criminal history check revealed a previous DUI arrest in 2020 and a guilty plea to reckless driving in 2021.
