Elderly man hit and killed crossing dark Kennewick street
An 82-year-old man died Thursday after he was hit trying to cross a dark, rainy Kennewick street.
Marin Cesar-Ochoa of Kennewick was reportedly trying to beat traffic on Olympia Street near West 14th Avenue around 6:40 a.m. when he was hit by a Ford station wagon.
An ambulance rushed him to Trios Southridge Hospital where he later died.
Investigators believe the rain and darkness and Cesar-Ochoa’s dark clothing made it difficult for the driver to see the elderly man crossing at a dark point in the roadway where there is no crosswalk, according to a police news release.
The driver, Kurtis Hickey of Kennewick, stopped and called 911 and cooperated with investigators.
“We do not believe alcohol or drugs were involved in this collision, nor is speed a factor,” said police.
The investigation closed Olympia Street between 13th Avenue and Park Hills Drive for more than three hours. It reopened at 10:30 a.m.
Cameron Probert: 509-582-1402, @cameroncprobert
This story was originally published January 17, 2019 at 8:18 AM.