A woman from Yakima County was injured in a hit-and-run accident on US-97, the Washington State Patrol (WSP) reported in a press memo.
According to the law enforcement agency, the 58-year-old female victim was in the passenger seat of a vehicle driven by a 54-year-old man when a suspect in a 2001 Honda Accord crashed into them. The 54-year-old had slowed down due to the traffic on southbound US-97 but the suspect failed to slow down. The suspect fled the scene after the crash.
The accident, which happened on Monday, August 23, is still under investigation.
While the passenger was transported to Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital for treatment, the driver did not suffer any injuries.
WSP Urges Witnesses To Step Forward, Help Find The Hit-And-Run Driver
Following the accident, officials were left without any information regarding the hit-and-run driver’s identity. While WSP troopers know the vehicle was a blue 2001 Honda Accord, they have no license plate number. Troopers are urging witnesses to come forward if they have any additional information.
In Washington state, hit-and-run is an offense that can be a felony depending on the circumstances of the collision. Being the serious crime that it is, it can carry penalties that might include time in jail and up to a $50,000 fine.
Divers should beware that they must never leave the scene of an accident until law enforcement arrives.
We hope the WSP troopers investigating this case are able to quickly identify the suspect and urge Washingtonians to learn from this collision. Following too closely or being distracted while behind the wheel can lead to similar crashes, as drivers in these situations will not be able to slow down quickly enough to avoid an accident. Furthermore, if you’re ever involved in an accident, remain at the scene until officers arrive even if nobody is injured.
For more on this crash, follow this link.
