In brief: Valley fires called suspicious
Firefighters are urging residents to be on the lookout for arson activity after two suspicious house fires caused an estimated $250,000 in damage early Wednesday in Spokane Valley.
The first fire was reported about 1:20 a.m. at 8317 E. Alki Ave. An occupant who called 911 reported smoke and flames were coming from the back of the home. The occupants were evacuated, and soon eight vehicles from various fire departments were on the scene. Firefighting efforts were quick and effective, the Spokane Valley Fire Department said, although there was significant fire, smoke and water damage.
Then, firefighters spotted a second fire a block and a half away at 515 N. Sargent Road. Four vehicles were relocated to that fire, and several more were called in.
Despite an “aggressive defensive attack” by firefighters, the blaze destroyed a garage, several pickup trucks and several recreational vehicles, the Spokane Valley Fire Department said.
The Red Cross was assisting displaced residents.
Anyone with information about the fires, or who sees suspicious activity, is asked to leave a tip with Crime Check at (509) 456-2233. Tipsters may remain anonymous. Callers also may reach the Spokane Valley Fire Department at (509) 928-1700.
Hanford whistleblower settles
Lawyers for a whistleblower on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation say he has reached a $4.1 million settlement with his former employer.
Walter Tamosaitis was a former manager at Hanford’s Waste Treatment Plant, where he worked for URS Inc., which is now known as AECOM.
He was removed from his position in 2010 after raising safety concerns about the construction of the giant plant. He was eventually fired in 2013.
A jury trial had been scheduled for 2016.
Trailer hits pedestrian bridge
A truck and trailer pulling a backhoe on Interstate 90 clipped a pedestrian bridge Wednesday morning near Havana Street.
The bridge, which connects two sections of South Custer Road, was struck about 8:45 a.m. Some westbound lanes were closed for about two hours after the collision knocked off chunks of concrete and displaced a steel rod.
Al Gilson, state Department of Transportation spokesman, said crews took photos of the bridge and sent them to experts in Olympia, who determined the bridge is safe for normal use. The damage is mostly cosmetic, but minor structural repairs are expected soon, he said.
No one was injured in the crash, said Washington State Patrol Trooper Jeff Sevigney.
Crash victim was from Shoreline
The woman who died of her injuries after a car crash at Pleasantview Road and Prairie Avenue near Hauser on Monday has been identified as Nancy B. Colon, 33, of Shoreline, Washington.
Colon was in a car that was being driven south on Pleasantview Road by her husband, Emmanuel A. Colon-Gorbea, 28. He reportedly swerved to avoid a car that failed to stop at the stop sign at Prairie Avenue and lost control, sliding sideways into a northbound RV driven by David L. Fuller, 71, of Bartonville, Texas.
Colon-Gorbea was injured and taken to Kootenai Health. Fuller was not injured.
The name of the 33-year-old Coeur d’Alene woman driving the car that ran the stop sign has not been released by the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office. No charges have been filed, but the investigation is continuing. Alcohol does not appear to be a factor, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Boy, 11, leads police on chase
SEATAC, Wash. – The King County Sheriff’s Office said an 11-year-old boy was arrested after stealing a car and leading deputies on a chase in SeaTac.
Deputies said the boy stole the red Subaru Impreza on Wednesday after finding a hidden key. They said they saw him driving extremely recklessly at 3:45 p.m. and used a maneuver to stop the vehicle. He was taken into custody six minutes after the chase began.
The Sheriff’s Office said no one was injured. By 5 p.m., the car had been returned to its owner and the boy had been returned to his mother.