ST. JOHN, Wa. – On Saturday, June 17 at 6:15 p.m., Whitman County deputies were dispatched to a one-car rollover accident in the campground area of Webb Slough near St John, Washington with a report that several occupants of the vehicle had been injured in the crash.
Deputies arrived on scene to find a 2005 Chevrolet pickup on its side and EMS personnel were assisting the injured occupants out of the pickup.
According to the release from the Whitman County Sheriff’s Office, the driver, Tanner D. Berzett (23), of Asotin, Washington, told deputies he was driving too fast in the campground area and “punched the accelerator to swing the rear end of the pickup around.” Berzett continued to say the pickup started bouncing when he did this, causing the pickup to roll over and injuring the passengers.
While taking Berzett’s statement of events, deputies noticed he showed signs of being impaired.
There were five passengers in the pickup at the time of the accident.
One passenger was flown by helicopter to Spokane, where it was determined the passenger had several fractures.
Another passenger was taken by ambulance to Whitman Hospital in Colfax, and it was determined this passenger had a fracture as well.
The remaining passengers suffered minor or no injuries because of the accident.
Berzett was arrested for DUI. Due to the nature of the injuries two of the passengers sustained, he was also booked into the Whitman County Jail on two counts of Vehicular Assault.
