Update: Police say pedestrian hit and killed in Richland had been walking in traffic

A pedestrian was struck and killed Wednesday morning on Stevens Drive, according to Richland police.

The man was at the intersection of University Drive and Stevens Drive when he was hit shortly before 4 a.m., according to dispatch records.

Richland police told the Herald on Thursday that the man, who still has not been identified, was walking in the lanes of travel when he was struck. They said that officers were able to immediately respond to the scene because they were already in the area looking for the man after receiving calls about him walking in the roadway.

The driver stayed at the scene and talked with police. Investigators have determined the driver wasn’t impaired or speeding, police said.

Hanford nuclear reservation workers heading to the Wye Barricade entrance to the site were warned about 4:40 a.m. that both lanes of Stevens Drive between University Drive and Battelle Boulevard were closed to traffic.

Stevens Drive also is used by many workers commuting to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland.

Traffic was being diverted to George Washington Way.

Other Tri-Cities area crashes

The fatal collision was one of three crashes police reported overnight, including a dramatic hit-and-run in Kennewick that damaged several properties.

▪ Lauren A. Davin, 40, reportedly lost control of her car near the corner of East 10th Avenue and South Cedar Street about 7 p.m. Tuesday. The car rolled, knocked over a fence and did substantial damage to several properties.

No one was hurt in the crash.

Davin ran away from the car, but officers found her nearby, said police.

She was booked into the Benton County jail on suspicion of four counts of hit-and-run, driving without a license and six warrants from Benton County District Court.

▪ Then shortly before 5:30 a.m. Wednesday, Tara R. Bumgarner, 41, of Kennewick, was heading west in a Toyota Rav4 on Highway 240, when she slammed into a car stopped for traffic near Kingsgate Way in Richland, the Washington State Patrol reported.

Investigators believe the crash was caused by Bumgarner driving too fast.

She was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland for possible injuries.

The driver of the Chrysler 300, Franklin D. Myers, 51, of Kennewick, was not hurt.

This story was originally published March 15, 2023 at 6:30 AM.