KENNEWICK — A Kennewick man learned Saturday afternoon that his Corvette belongs on the highway and not the fairway, and that the penalty for landing in the rough is a trip to jail.
James Earl Wilson, 38, had just picked up a white 1985 Corvette from the dealer’s lot Saturday and apparently decided to take it for a drive, according to the State Patrol.
However, the outing landed him in the Columbia Park Golf Course and briefly closed the westbound lanes of Highway 240.
Trooper Oscar Garcia said Wilson was driving 90 mph or faster when he apparently lost control and drove down the embankment from the eastbound lane of the highway, through a chain-link fence and onto the course.
Benton County Sheriff’s Deputy Tom Manthei said Wilson drove on the golf course toward Columbia Park Trail, but after finding no easy way out of the 18-hole course the driver headed back toward the highway by driving between wooden posts and through wire fencing. He was driving about 5 mph, Manthei said.
The deputy was waiting on the highway to intercept the driver, but the Corvette’s driver "gunned it" and took off.
At that point, the car spun around out of control and came to a stop on the shoulder. The driver, Wilson, taken to Benton County jail where he was booked on suspicion of drunken and reckless driving.
Tri-City Herald
Factoria: Garbage truck claim investigated
A pedestrian who claimed he was run over by a garbage truck Thursday in Factoria may have committed fraud, Bellevue police said Friday. The man was using drugs, was uncooperative with doctors at Harborview Medical Center, had no visible bruising and showed no injuries on X-rays, said Michael Chiu, spokesman for the Bellevue police. The 45-year-old Seattle man was apparently working for garbage truck owner Rabanco temporarily through a day-labor agency, said Capt. Jim Kowalczyk. It was his first day on the job.
King County Journal
Orchards: Troopers give applicant lesson in law
A man who stopped by State Patrol headquarters to ask about a job didn’t get what he wanted — but he did find out how a hand-held alcohol tester works. The man was ticketed for alleged drunken driving as he drove away from the patrol office in this city near Vancouver. He had asked for a job application, and a trooper noticed slurred speech and smelled alcohol. "I guess it was a bad time to go there," Robert Gulley, 25, of nearby Sifton, told The Columbian newspaper. "It was a bad judgment call."
Associated Press
Gig Harbor: Diver dies in accident near beach
An Oregon man who was diving with his wife drowned off Sunrise Beach, a sheriff’s spokesman said. The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man Sunday as Cecil Sargent, 48, of Silverton. An oyster harvester called authorities Saturday after seeing Sargent go under around 3:30 p.m. while trying to help his wife, who had slipped while carrying her dive gear out of the water, Pierce County sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said. Troyer said the couple were walking in the water while carrying their equipment because beach residents are known to call police about trespassing "the minute they see a diver on the beach."
Associated Press
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