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KENNEWICK -- A Kennewick man may have been driving too fast on a curvy gravel road Monday afternoon when his car plummeted at least 50 feet into a ravine off Badger Canyon Road.
Gary S. Conachan, 37, died from his injuries less than two hours later at Kadlec Medical Center in Richland, said Benton County sheriff's Sgt. Ron Sabin.
His family was notified Monday evening by sheriff's department officials and a chaplain.
Emergency crews were quick to respond to the remote crash scene because another motorist was behind Conachan's BMW when it went over the edge and immediately called 911, Sabin said.
Conachan was driving his BMW north down the Badger Canyon grade when he lost control and his car ran across the oncoming lane and rolled into the ravine.
Conachan didn't have any passengers. It wasn't clear if he was wearing a seat belt when he crashed.
Sabin said drivers must be "real cautious" when traveling on the steep gravel roadway. "If you're not going slow down that road, you don't have a chance of making it," he said.
Sabin added officers suspect alcohol may have played a role in the 4 p.m. crash.
A medical helicopter crew spent about 40 minutes trying to stabilize Conachan before flying him to Kadlec Medical Center.
He was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly before 6 p.m.
Benton County Coroner Rick Corson said an autopsy will not be done because it was a single-vehicle collision and it's clear Conachan died from trauma to his head and torso.
However, toxicology tests will be completed by a state lab to see if alcohol or drugs were involved, Corson said.
A tow truck spent about 1 1/2 hours later Monday pulling the BMW out of the ravine so sheriff's detectives could investigate what caused the crash.
