SEQUIM — Reminiscent of a “Dukes of Hazzard” stunt, a Sequim man driving a 1994 Buick Century launched the vehicle off a 60-foot embankment Monday night, trimmed a tree top and landed right-side-up in the muck of Dungeness Bay.
David B. Johnson, 53, received minor injuries in the crash, but was alive, wet and arrested for driving under the influence, said Clallam County Sheriff’s Sgt. Lyman Moores.
There were no skid marks or other signs to hint that Johnson attempted to slow down or turn as he raced down Thornton Drive northwest of Sequim, said Clallam County Sheriff’s Capt. Ron Cameron.
“No skid marks, no nothing,” Cameron said.
At Marine Drive, Johnson hit a metal guard rail but kept going for about another 100 feet, in the air, taking a piece of the rail with him.
“[The car] didn’t just go over the embankment, it went up,” Moores said.
Michael Phillips, 22, who was visiting his parents from California, said his brother, Matthew, 26, heard a noise.
“He heard a loud bang, but we didn’t know exactly what it was,” Michael said about the incident, which occurred about 10:15 p.m.
When the two realized what happened, they rushed down to the shore and found the car resting in waist-deep water.
The car’s airbag had deployed and Johnson was struggling to free himself.
The two brothers assisted Johnson to shore. Matthew is a former Army Ranger and administered first aid.