UPDATE: Tri-Cities man identified as victim in head-on crash east of Pasco

A Kennewick man was killed early Friday in a head-on car crash on Highway 124, seven miles east of Burbank.

The wreck happened at 5:10 a.m. on the busy two-lane road southeast of Pasco.

It’s heavily traveled by commuters to industrial and ag-related businesses and farms in the Burbank area of Walla Walla County.

The Washington State Patrol reported that Ricardo D. Ozuna-Pena was traveling east on the highway when he crossed over the center line into oncoming traffic.

His Honda Civic struck a westbound Toyota RAV4 driven by Noe C. Pompa-Beltran of Pasco, a state patrol report said.

Ozuna-Pena was pronounced dead at the scene. He was wearing a seat belt in the crash.

Walla Walla County Coroner Richard Greenwood told the Tri-City Herald that he has three different dates of birth for Ozuna-Pena, but he is believed to be 30.

He said troopers were able to notify Ozuna-Pena’s mother, who lives in Mexico, after tracking down relatives in Phoeniz, Ariz.

The other driver, the 44-year-old Pompa-Beltran, was flown by helicopter to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland. He also was wearing a seat belt when his SUV was hit.

This story was originally published August 6, 2021 at 12:51 PM.