Mattawa man cited for hit and run after damaging power pole
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 8 months AGO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | January 2, 2025 1:55 AM
MATTAWA — A Mattawa man was cited for hit and run after he hit a power pole near Mattawa early Tuesday morning.
Juan Erazo, 30, was also cited for driving without an ignition interlock and third-degree driving with a suspended license, according to a press memo from the Washington State Patrol. The incident occurred at about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Erazo was driving north on State Route 243 and attempted to turn left onto Road 26 Southwest, about 1 mile south of Mattawa. He missed the turn and allegedly hit a power pole, the release said. Both the car and the power pole caught fire and became engulfed in flames.
Enzo allegedly fled the scene in a separate vehicle, the release said.
The fire that damaged the power pole knocked out power to about 1,020 customers, said Christine Pratt, public information officer for the Grant County PUD.
“The car hit a distribution pole and damaged some switching equipment,” Pratt wrote in response to an email from the Columbia Basin Herald.
Power was restored by mid-morning Tuesday.
Erazo’s car, a 2015 Chevrolet SUV, was totaled. The memo said it was unknown whether or not drugs or alcohol was involved. The collision is still under investigation.
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