State patrol removes 16 impaired drivers from county roads

Published 12:05 pm Monday, April 13, 2009

Washington State Patrol (WSP) troopers removed 16 impaired drivers from Kitsap County roadways during the past weekend, including a Bremerton man who forced troopers to break out his driver’s side window, according to WSP.

A trooper in the area of State Route 3 at Imperial Way near the south end of Kitsap County observed a gold SUV pull onto the roadway over the weekend, causing the trooper to swerve to avoid a collision.

The trooper made a U-turn, got behind the vehicle and watched it run off the roadway and strike a speed limit sign, damaging the driver’s side mirror, according to WSP. The trooper stopped the vehicle and, as he approached the SUV, the 39-year-old Bremerton driver put the vehicle in reverse in an attempt to drive away.

The driver ignored the trooper’s command to stop and the trooper used his flashlight to break the driver’s side window and the man was removed from the vehicle and taken into custody.

The man was booked into Kitsap County Jail for DUI.

No DUI-related injury collisions were reported over the weekend in Kitsap County.