14 vehicles, 3 semis wreck during dust storm on Highway 395 near Connell

Motorists were urged to avoid Highway 395 in north Franklin County on Thursday afternoon after several wrecks and limited visibility prompted officials to close the highway.

At least 14 cars and trucks and three semi trucks were involved in the crashes, according to preliminary information from Washington State Patrol.

The wrecks closed the southbound lanes at Milepost 60, about four miles north of Connell at Myers Road and the Franklin County and Adams County line.

Washington State Patrol Trooper Daniel Mosqueda told the Tri-City Herald that an agricultural dust storm was blowing through the area at the time and caused multiple collisions on Highway 395 in both directions.

He said that there were no fatal injuries, but as of 4 p.m., one person had been transported to a local hospital.

Lanes were closed in both directions for several hours as crews waited for the dust to clear and began moving disabled vehicles out of the roadway.

The first wreck on southbound Highway 395 involved seven cars and two semis, with another wreck just south of it with one car and a semi, which was still blocking the southbound lanes at 4 p.m.

In the northbound lanes there was a four-car collision at Milepost 60 and just north of that another two car wreck blocking the roadway.

This story was originally published August 7, 2025 at 3:49 PM.