Teen DUI Driver in East Wenatchee Causes High Speed Crash

Police in the Wenatchee Valley are asking parents to have conversations with their children about the importance of not drinking and driving.

In East Wenatchee Saturday Night, a car in the 600 block of Smile Drive left the roadway and rolled multiple times.

"There were two female subjects who had been the occupants of the vehicle and they were contacted. They were treated on scene and at least the driver was transported to Central Washington Hospital." East Wenatchee Police Chief Rick Johnson said.

Witnesses estimated speeds at more than 100 miles per hour, but Chief Johnson says that did not come from speed calculations by anyone in the department.

He did say the responding officer cited the 16-year-old driver for driving under the influence.

"They could smell the odor of intoxicants and the driver actually admitted to the officer to consuming alcohol prior to the crash. She was transported, treated and then cited and released for DUI due to ongoing medical treatment."

Rollover Crash on Smile Drive in East Wenatchee

With the warmer temperatures and students thinking about getting out of school, D-U-I offenses with young drivers start to increase this time of year.

Chief Johnson says it's a reminder for parents to chat with their kids about making good choices.

"Especially when it comes to choosing to drive or getting into a vehicle with somebody that has been drinking because a lot of times that isn't the case," Chief Johnson said. "Everybody's on that last stretch going into the end of the school year. It does seem to be a party season especially for a lot of our juveniles that live in the area. And we're going into graduation season."

According to a report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drinking any amount of alcohol before driving increases crash risk among teen drivers. Teen drivers have a much higher risk of being involved in a crash than older drivers at the same blood alcohol concentration (BAC), even at BAC levels below the legal limit for adults.