A man driving away from a Spokane bar hit at least seven cars within 13 minutes – including one driven by an off-duty detective – on Saturday before police arrested him for drunken driving.

Someone at a bar on West Pacific Avenue in Browne’s Addition told police a drunken driver was leaving in a dark-blue Nissan pickup at 3:28 p.m., Spokane police said.

Police said they arrested Jason G. Cross, 32, at Francis Avenue and Wall Street at 3:41 p.m. after he struck cars at Boone Avenue and Maple Street, and Maple and Northwest Boulevard, then wedged between two vehicles stopped at a red light. Off-duty Detective Neil Gallion was in one of the cars and followed Cross north on Maple. Cross hit other cars at Walnut Street and Adams Street before police caught up to him with Gallion’s help, police said.

Cross was booked into the Spokane County Jail on a driving under the influence charge and seven charges of failure to leave information at the scene of an accident.

Anyone with information on the accidents is asked to call (509) 242-TIPS.

Meghann M. Cuniff

Missing woman found after being hit by van

Police found a woman who had been reported missing on Wednesday after she was struck by a minivan in downtown Spokane on Saturday.

The woman – who’s name was being withheld pending family notification – suffered non-life-threatening injuries when a green Mercury Villager struck her as she was standing in Main Avenue with her back to traffic about 5 p.m., said Spokane police Sgt. Tony Giannetto.

She was unresponsive at the scene and taken to a hospital by ambulance, where her condition was unavailable.

The driver of the van was cooperating with police, and Giannetto said he didn’t appear to be at fault.

The accident closed Main Avenue from Wall to Howard streets for about three hours. The van remained in the street with a large dent in its front hood; the victim’s flannel jacket and plastic bag lay in front.

Meghann M. Cuniff

Region

Forecasters say rain more likely than snow

Cold and cloudy with a chance of rain: That’s the forecast for the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene areas this week.

“The snow is going to be hard to come by,” said Rocco Pelatti, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Spokane.

Rain isn’t guaranteed – there’s a 60 percent chance Monday night and a 30 percent chance Tuesday, according to the Weather Service.

High temperatures will stay in the lower 40s or upper 30s, with lows expected in the 30s.

Meghann M. Cuniff