Man arrested in Thursday morning hit-and-run
A driver identified as 36-year-old Trino Mendez was booked into Grant County Jail Thursday after allegedly striking a county road worker with his Jeep, then leaving the scene. The Jeep’s grille, shown here, was left at the scene. The county worker was transported to Samaritan Hospital; his condition was unknown Friday morning.
COURTESY PHOTO/GCSO
MOSES LAKE — A suspect was taken into custody Thursday afternoon in the hit-and-run of a county road worker early Thursday morning, according to Grant County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman.
Trino Mendez, 36, was booked into Grant County Jail on suspicion of hit-and-run attended complicity and vehicular assault, according to the Grant County Jail roster. No bail had been set as of Friday morning.
The incident happened around 5:10 a.m. on North Frontage Road about a mile east of Dodson Road, according to the GCSO. Road crews were preparing the road for chip sealing when the worker was struck.
“(Mendez) stopped, got out, walked over to the injured worker, and then got back in the vehicle and continued west on North Frontage Road,” Foreman said.
The vehicle’s grille, distinctively spray-painted teal and gray, was left behind at the scene, Foreman said.
GCSO deputies received information that led them to Mendez’s place of employment, Foreman said. Mendez originally gave deputies a false name but had no identification to back it up. Deputies confirmed his identity through his fingerprints, Foreman said.
The victim was transported to Samaritan Hospital, according to the statement. His condition was unknown Friday, Foreman said.
“(Being hit by a vehicle) is always a risk for any public works worker, whether it’s a local worker or a state Department of Transportation (worker),” Foreman said. “Unfortunately, many of their employees are struck by vehicles because people aren’t watching.”