SPOKANE, Wash. — A repeat DUI offender was sentenced to more than five years in prison after a multi-vehicle crash that ended with witnesses restraining him as he tried to flee the scene.
Vincent Flores, 47, was sentenced to 63 months in prison for felony DUI following the North Spokane crash, according to the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office.
Court documents show that in May 2024, Flores swerved over double yellow lines into oncoming traffic in the Five Mile Prairie area. He struck a median, backed into a vehicle, then collided head-on with another vehicle before attempting to flee. Witnesses detained him until police arrived.
Prosecutors highlighted Flores’ extensive criminal history: six prior DUI convictions, three hit-and-run convictions and nine convictions for driving with a suspended license, according to court records. Defense counsel requested a Mental Health Sentencing Alternative, but Judge Shelley Szamblan followed the state’s recommendation for prison time due to community safety concerns.
The May 2024 crash brings Flores’ total to seven DUI convictions.
The Prosecutor’s Office reminded the public not to drive while impaired, especially during the holiday season, when DUI cases typically increase.
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COPYRIGHT 2025 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.