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PD: DUI suspect car goes airborne, lands on cars at Surprise dealership

Posted at 2:00 PM, Jun 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-18 23:36:40-04

A DUI suspect's car went airborne before landing on several vehicles at a car dealership in Surprise.

Surprise police report that on June 11, 21-year-old Zachary David Washington allegedly went through a stop sign at 115th Avenue and Bell Road.

He then struck a median, going airborne, before hitting a wall and landing on several vehicles.

Washington's passenger reportedly told police that Washington had an ignition interlock device on his car and began drinking after starting the car. Police say they found a half-empty bottle of alcohol in the car, after the crash.

RELATED: Penalties for driving under the influence in Arizona

Other witnesses say the vehicle was traveling about 60 miles per hour when went through the light.

The car dealership owner reported to police that Washington damaged four vehicles, with an estimated damage of about $35,000, with another $10,000 damage to the wall.

Police say this is Washington’s second DUI collision in just over a year. Ironically, Washington lists his occupation as a public safety officer for the past two years at Grand Canyon University. 

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He has been charged with aggravated DUI.

Statistics show one-third of all DUI arrests are repeat offenders, leading to a very dangerous problem on Arizona roads.

One out of every eight drunk drivers involved in a fatal crash has a DUI conviction in the previous three years.