Update: Oregon woman and man ID’d after their SUV plunges off highway south of Kennewick
A man and woman from Oregon died in a Thursday morning crash south of Kennewick on Interstate 82.
Maria D. Diaz De Benitez, 63, from Umatilla, Ore., and her passenger Andres V. Cabrales, 54, of Hermiston, Ore., were heading south on the interstate during the night when Diaz De Benitez lost control a mile north of the Coffin Road exit, the Washington State Patrol said.
Investigators believe she went off the side of the road, and then over corrected, sending the SUV careening over the guardrail.
A passing truck driver noticed the broken guardrail and a tire about 6 a.m. Thursday and called authorities, said WSP Trooper Chris Thorson.
The SUV appears to have rolled several times before ending up at the bottom of a 50-foot embankment.
Investigators are not sure how long it had been there before it was spotted. No witnesses have come forward yet.
Both victims were wearing their seat belts.
The crash happened about eight miles south of the Tri-Cities on I-82/Highway 395.
This story was originally published July 1, 2021 at 9:10 AM.