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Stolen car smashes 6 vehicles at Kennewick Walmart, nearly hitting shoppers and children

By Tri-City Herald
Published: October 11, 2021, 7:35am

KENNEWICK — A call to check on the welfare of a couple parked in a car in the Walmart parking lot in Kennewick took a bad turn Saturday afternoon.

Kennewick officers were asked to check on a man and woman who appeared to be passed with some drugs in a black Chevy HHR. And callers initially thought a child might be in the backseat.

The license plates belonged to a car stolen from Richland, said a police news release.

Officers arrived just before 1:45 p.m. to the lot on South Quillan Street off Highway 395 and found a man in the driver’s seat and a female passenger, but no child in the car.

“Officers observed the occupants “nodding off,” which is consistent with using narcotics,” said a police news release.

They knocked on the window to check on their condition. Instead, the driver started the car despite officer commands not to.

The driver reversed the car quickly then suddenly put the vehicle in drive and accelerated, crashing into several parked cars, said police.

The officers had to get out of the way to avoid being hit, said police.

“The driver then reversed again, striking one of the patrol vehicles, going forward once more and striking civilian vehicles, and then reversed and struck a second patrol vehicle,” said police.

Walmart employees, other shoppers and their children were nearby and officers were trying to keep bystanders safely out of the path of the car while also trying to get the driver to stop.

The Chevy ultimately fled after hitting six vehicles and endangering the lives of multiple citizens, said police.

The stolen black 2008 Chevy HHR has the Washington license plate BYA9314 and damage to the front and back. Notify police immediately if you spot it and do not contact the driver, said police.

The KPD Traffic Unit is asking anyone who may have video of this incident to contact non-emergency dispatchers.

“We are very grateful there were no injuries as a result of this incident, and we appreciate the public’s cooperation while this event unfolded in the busy parking lot,” said the release.

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