DUI driver in Hoquiam hits HPD vehicle and concrete abutment

A man was arrested this morning for DUI and hit-and-run after driving into a parked car and a patrol car with an officer inside.

The Hoquiam Police Department announced that just before 1:30 this morning a Hoquiam Police Officer was stopped in the 400 block of Karr Avenue talking with a citizen when a 2016 Subaru Crosstrek struck a vehicle and the officer’s patrol car before continuing to drive, turning onto Cleveland Street.

When the officer followed the vehicle they saw it strike a concrete abutment separating Cleveland Street, doing extensive damage to the vehicle and setting off the airbags.

Inside the Crosstrek was a 26-year-old Vancouver, WA man and a 26-year-old Aberdeen woman. Hoquiam Fire personnel responded and found neither person was injured, although HPD says that the driver admitted to drinking alcohol and they say he showed signs of intoxication.

The Vancouver man was arrested for Hit and Run-Unattended Vehicle, Hit and Run- Attended Vehicle, and for Driving Under the Influence and taken to Hoquiam Jail where his breath alcohol content tested over three times the legal limit.

Hoquiam Police remind residents to plan ahead if you plan to consume alcohol, plan for a ride as well.

“As the holiday season approaches, the frequency of DUI incidents increase. With the availability of taxis, transit, and ride sharing services, as well as your sober friends and family, there is no excuse for driving while intoxicated. Had the citizen Officer Grossi was talking to been standing on the driver’s side of his patrol car instead of the passenger side, this incident would have likely caused serious injuries or been fatal.”