HILLSBORO, Ore. (KOIN) — For the second time in 2 months, a Washington County Deputy found himself involved in a crash with a drunk driver.
Deputy David Huey was rear-ended for the first time on St. Patrick’s Day and ended up getting a concussion and missing 2 months of work.
“…I had just finished some DUI enforcement,” he said. “I was finishing up some notes for that call and unfortunately I was struck from behind.”
Because of that experience, early Sunday morning when Huey was helping another deputy with a stop involving an alleged drunk driver, he was “hyper aware.”
The deputies were conducting field a sobriety test on 23-year-old Yash Desai when 61-year-old Earl Smith slammed into the back of one patrol car. The impact caused a chain reaction that left 4 cars damaged.
“The first time it happened I had no expectation,” Huey said. “I was pretty aloof to that even really as a possibility. The second time it happened, I found myself really hyper aware of watching traffic.”
Huey had a civilian riding along with him when a second alleged drunk driver came along. He saw a second driver coming and was able to get the civilian out of the way just in time.
Deputies said both drivers on Sunday had blood alcohol levels of .19, more than twice the legal limit.
Thankfully everyone involved in both incidents walked about with their lives, and Huey knows how lucky is is to be able to saw that.
“Had I not maybe had that first accident, I may have not have seen that second [car] coming and who knows what would have happened,” Huey said.
