Man Charged in Kennewick Hit & Run, DUI, & Gun Possession

A 31-year old man is behind bars charged with Hit & Run and several more charges, including carrying a concealed weapon, and DUI.

The collision happened at 9 am Wednesday, at the intersection of West 4th Avenue and South Edison Street.

Witnesses reported the suspect vehicle, a maroon mini-van was involved in additional collisions. The mini-van finally stopped near West 3rd Avenue and South Johnson Street. It was found with heavy front-end damage, still smoking from the earlier collisions.

Witnesses reported seeing two men running from the smoking vehicle and gave descriptions of the suspects to officers.

Officers located the two males and after viewing security footage showing both men in the mini-van, both were detained.

Mario Vargas was identified as the driver of the mini-van and was arrested for Hit and Run.  After further investigation, it was determined he was driving on a suspended license.  Vargas also appeared to be under the influence and after a search, was found to be in possession of a loaded gun.

Vargas is at the Benton County Jail charged with Hit and Run, Driving With A Suspended License, DUI, and Carrying a Concealed Weapon Without a Permit.

Get the full story on the Kennewick Police Department's Facebook page here.