Second Car This Summer Goes Into Lake Chelan, Driver Arrested On DUI Charges
Oil leaked into Lake Chelan from a Chevy Trailblazer after the driver drove off Highway 150 between Chelan and Manson Friday night.
The vehicle came to rest about 60 feet off shore in 20 feet of water. The driver, a 58-year-old Chelan woman, was taken to Chelan Valley Hospital but was not injured. After being released, she was placed into Chelan County custody on suspicion of DUI.
The car was extracted by a local tow company, with help from Chelan County Sheriff’s Office and Fire District #7. The car’s oil pan was sheared off during extraction and about seven quarts of motor oil spilled into the lake. Another five gallons of fuel was lost during crash.
Washington Department of Ecology spill responders arrived and deployed a boom and other absorbent materials. They also performed shoreline reconnaissance and observed a light sheen near shore at least 20 feet up lake and 50 feet down lake. They said any remaining sheen could take a few days to dissipate.
Photo: Washington State Patrol
My family and I were driving by and witnessed the trailblazer in the water I had my husband stop and I jumped out! I was a med Tech in the military…. as I approached a man had pulled over and dove in after her! We were all afraid Bc we didn’t k is if there were others in the vehicle! I was prorated to jump In… thank God the woman swam out and the man helped her to the shore. We gathered around her and we were so happy she was ok and she said…. I did it on purpose. I said what? And she repeated herself. My heart sunk. Seeing she was in good hands I needed to get in the car with my family Bcit wasn’t safe for them to be on the side of the road with no shoulder.