News bites for October 2, 2023
An aircraft incident caused an army helicopter to land suddenly near Beverly Friday.
Courtesy photo/Grant County Sheriff’s Office
BEVERLY — An army helicopter caused some chaos Friday afternoon when it landed suddenly near Beverly, according to a statement from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.
At about 4:40 p.m., GCSO deputies were dispatched to milepost 18 on State Route 243, according to a statement from the GCSO. A U.S. Army AH-64E Apache helicopter assigned to 4-6 Air Cavalry Squadron, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, suffered an “aviation mishap,” according to a statement from the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade. The helicopter landed on the Grant County side of the Columbia River after striking power lines over the river and knocking them into the water, according to the GCSO. The incident also triggered a 25-acre wildfire, according to the National Interagency Fire Center, which was under control by 5:45 p.m.
There were no fatalities, but both pilots were evacuated to Yakima Training Center for evaluation by military medical personnel, according to the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade. The incident is under investigation.
QUINCY — A driver was arrested Wednesday for DUI near Quincy, according to a statement from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.
Raul Guerrero Vargas, 52, of Quincy was jailed after police received multiple reports of erratic behavior on the road, the statement said.
Grant County Sheriff’s Deputies, Quincy Police and the Washington State Patrol responded around 6 p.m. Wednesday after a motorist called 911 to report a silver Dodge pickup, whose driver was later identified as Vargas, was chasing them on State Route 28 west of Quincy, the statement said. Another caller said the truck was all over the road, and another caller said the pickup’s driver may have fired a round from a gun, although this was later found not to have happened.
The truck was found parked at a fruit stand near S.R. 28 and Road S Northwest. When Quincy Police approached the Vargas, he ignored them and walked into a house behind the fruit stand. Deputies received permission from the homeowner to enter the home and Vargas was arrested.