Benton City man dies after a medical problem forced him to crash on a rural highway

A Benton City man died near Othello after he apparently suffered a medical problem and then drove off the road.

Troy D. Wilson, 61, was heading north on Highway 17 when he crashed shortly after 6:45 a.m. Monday, Nov. 7, according to a Washington State Patrol traffic memo.

His Nissan Altima headed off the highway to the right about a mile north of the small farming community and ended up in a ditch. The car ended up stopping against a fence.

He was wearing his seat belt at the time, said the WSP.

Emergency crews rushed him to Othello Community Hospital, where he died.

Wilson was a former director at Greater Columbia Behavioral Health where he worked for 15 years until 2019.

His family said that he loved his wife of 35 years and his two daughters, enjoyed working on antiques and on the lawn.

It appeared the crash didn’t cause his death, according to the state patrol.

This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 12:35 PM.