One dead in Highway 240 crash northwest of Richland. Charges pending against driver

One person is dead after a car crashed early Saturday morning on Highway 240 about 17 miles northwest of Richland.

Alcohol appears to have been a factor and charges are pending against the driver, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Jorge Procopio Marcelino, 22, of Beverly was driving northwest about 2:20 a.m. on the highway that runs between the Hanford Reach National Monument and the production portion of the Hanford nuclear site.

His Toyota Scion left the roadway and rolled, according to the WSP.

Florentino Jacinto Santos, 30, of Mattawa, a passenger in the car, was not wearing a seat belt and died before he could be taken to a hospital.

A second passenger, Orlando Vargas Mondragon, 33, of Beverly, was not injured.

The driver also was injured but was not taken to a hospital, according to the WSP. Both the driver and the passenger who survived were wearing seat belts.

The Department of Energy alerted workers on the weekend shift at the nuclear reservation that Highway 240 was closed before dawn Saturday between the Rattlesnake and Yakima barricade secure entrances to the Hanford site.

According to the Washington state Department of Transportation, Highway 240 was closed in both directions for about 20 miles until about 5:45 a.m.

This story was originally published November 18, 2023 at 10:49 AM.