Grant County deputy wrecks vehicle

MOSES LAKE — A Grant County sheriff's deputy suffered a minor head injury when he apparently fell asleep at the wheel of his patrol car and crashed Saturday morning.

Deputy David De La Rosa, 30, a one-year veteran of the Grant County Sheriff's Office, was southbound on Dodson Road South when he reportedly drifted onto the shoulder of the roadway and lost control of the patrol car.

The vehicle left the roadway, just south of Frenchman Hills Road, where it collided with low-hanging branches of several pine trees, the sheriff's office reports. The car then vaulted over an access road and traveled approximately 300 feet before coming to a stop.

De La Rosa suffered a bump to the top of his head and was transported to Samaritan Hospital by a fellow deputy for observation, Chief Criminal Deputy John Turley said.

Damage to the patrol vehicle is estimated at $4,800, Turley said.

The deputy was headed home when he wrecked, Turley said. De La Rosa was working Friday night and early Saturday and was part of the regional Tactical Response Team involved in a four-hour standoff in Cascade Valley.

Lieutenant Mike Warren, with the Washington State Patrol, said today they've completed an investigation of the accident and are now providing their reports to the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's office plans to do an internal investigation, Turley said, following the state patrol's investigation, as is a standard operating procedure.

De La Rosa has recovered and is back on duty, Turley said.