Interstate 82, Highway 221 reopen after crashes, fire

High winds are to blame for car pileups on Interstate 82 and Highway 221 on Saturday, forcing state officials to shut them down completely to treat crash victims, clear the scenes and extinguish a grass fire ignited by a burning vehicle.

All lanes on I-82 and Highway 221 reopened by 9 p.m.

The Washington State Patrol confirmed to the Herald that state troopers began responding around 3:30 p.m. to multiple collisions at milepost 90 on the interstate, about five miles west of Benton City.

Devin Helland with Benton Fire District 1 said about 10 cars were involved in the incident, caused by smoke from a grass fire blowing across the roadway, and the Yakima Herald-Republic reported at least 10 people were injured, a few being transported to area hospitals.

Meanwhile, first responders reported blackout conditions on Highway 221, which links Prosser and Paterson. As many as 20 vehicles were involved in that pileup, where blowing dust severely reduced visibility.

“They had a few ejected from their cars and they’re in critical condition,” said Benton County sheriff’s corporal Jason Erickson.

It was a vehicle burning on the shoulder of the interstate near Benton City that ignited a grass fire that was fed by the afternoon’s strong winds, said Capt. Seth Johnson of West Benton Fire & Rescue. That blew a thick bank of smoke across the roadway, limiting visibility, and some drivers failed to reduce their speed to the conditions.

All crash victims were treated by 7 p.m., Johnson said. Interstate 82 was closed between Prosser and Benton City. The fire is estimated to have burned between 500 and 600 acres and fire crews were in mop up early in the evening.

State officials shut down Highway 221 in both directions just before 6 p.m., with the same front that stoked the flames along the interstate sending dust into the air, making it impossible to see, officials said.

“Even the fire trucks were at a standstill, going one mile an hour,” Helland said of what he’d heard from responding agencies.

The state patrol said four vehicles were involved in the initial accident on eastbound I-82.

Andrew Mills, 34, of Spokane slowed down his 2008 Chevy Suburban after driving up on smoke and blowing dust across the freeway.

The three drivers behind Mills failed to slow down. Timothy Dorko, 35, of Pasco, was at the back of the group and collided with Esteban Banda, 29, of Pasco.

That crash sent Banda's Volkswagen Jetta into the back of Robert Gonzalez's Dodge Charger, who then hit Mills.

The four drivers, and Gonzalez's two passengers, wore seatbelts, the state patrol said. Dorko, Banda and Mills weren't hurt, but Gonzalez and his passengers were transported to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland. Their injuries were unclear.

The state patrol said charges are pending.

Further details about injuries in the pileup on 221 were unavailable.

Ty Beaver: 509-582-1402; tbeaver@<code_dp>tricityherald.com; Twitter: @_tybeaver

This story was originally published October 10, 2015 at 3:37 PM with the headline "Interstate 82, Highway 221 reopen after crashes, fire."