A Grant County fire chief working at the scene of one crash was struck by a driver at that same scene on Wednesday night, November 4, near Mattawa in central Washington, according to the Grant County Sheriff's Office. Firefighters were containing an oil spill left by an earlier, non-injury collision at the intersection of Road 24-SW and Road L-SW when a motorist drove through the barriers set up around the scene.
Source: Grant County Sheriff's Office via KEYW
The vehicle struck Grant County Fire District No. 8 Battalion Chief Doug Anderson in the leg as it passed through the scene at around 10:30 p.m., deputies said. Anderson sustained a minor injury to his leg and was treated by EMTs at the scene, the sheriff's office said.
The driver did not stop. A short time later, officers with the Mattawa Police Department tracked the driver down and arrested him, according to the sheriff's office.
The arrest
The arrested driver is 33-year-old Jorge Ramirez-Suarez of Mattawa. He was booked into the Grant County Jail for investigation of hit-and-run, DUI and vehicular assault, the sheriff's office said. Booking for investigation is an allegation, not a conviction: the Grant County Prosecutor's Office decides what formal charges, if any, are filed, and Ramirez-Suarez is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
What the charges can carry in Washington
Under Washington law as reported by KEYW, DUI-related vehicular assault is a Class B felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000, with a typical standard sentencing range of 3 to 9 months for a first-time offender. Hit-and-run involving an injury is a Class C felony, carrying up to 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Those are the general penalties for the offences under investigation; any actual charge and sentence would be decided by prosecutors and the court on the facts of this case.
Why crash scenes are so dangerous for responders
The crew Anderson was leading was doing one of the least visible and most exposed jobs in emergency work: standing in a live roadway at night, containing fuel and oil spilled by an earlier crash so it does not spread or ignite. The barriers around such a scene are the only physical protection responders have. A driver who goes around or through a barricade puts every firefighter, deputy and tow operator inside that scene at risk, which is why Washington treats striking a person with a vehicle while impaired as a felony rather than a traffic ticket.
The place
Mattawa is a small farming community in southern Grant County, in Washington's Columbia Basin, where many residents work in the orchards and fields of the region. Grant County Fire District No. 8 serves Mattawa and the surrounding rural area. The county seat is Ephrata, where the Grant County Jail is located, and Grant County court proceedings in the case would be held there.
Never drive around barriers, cones or emergency vehicles at a crash scene, even if the road looks clear. Crews may be working on foot in the dark, outside the taped area, containing fuel or treating patients. Slow down, follow detours, and expect the closure to take as long as it takes.
What happens next
Ramirez-Suarez remains booked at the Grant County Jail while the investigation continues. The next step is a charging decision by the Grant County Prosecutor's Office, followed by a first court appearance in Grant County if charges are filed. The sheriff's office has not released further details, including any test results, and no court date had been announced in the reporting available on November 5.