Richland High teen and mom die after failing to stop for traffic on Highway 395

A Richland woman and her teen passenger were killed in a two-car crash about noon Tuesday when they failed to stop for traffic on Highway 395 in Pasco.

Rafaela Alquicira Huipio, 50, was driving west on Foster Wells Road and was trying to cross Highway 395, according to the Washington State Patrol.

She cleared the northbound lanes but then did not yield to southbound traffic, according to the WSP.

Her Geo sedan was hit broadside by a Toyota Tacoma pickup being driven south by Bliss Honeycutt, 65, of Richland, according to the WSP.

Huipio and Yureli Ontiveros Alquicira, 17, died before they could be taken to a hospital. Both were wearing seat belts.

Yureli would have been a senior at Richland High School this school year.

The Richland School District said in a letter to parents that she “was loved by many and was a kind-hearted and hardworking student with a heart-warming smile.”

Honeycutt, who was also wearing a seatbelt, had broken bones and was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland.

Drugs or alcohol did not play a role in the crash, according to the WSP. An investigation into the crash is continuing.

Foster Wells Road serves agricultural and industrial areas on either side of the divided state highway. The intersection is east of the Pasco Processing Center.

Richland High Principal Nicole Anderson emailed Richland School District families on Wednesday about Yureli and another student’s death.

“It is with deep sorrow that I share the recent loss of two members of our Richland High School community over the summer. Both will be missed dearly,” she said.

“Yureli was loved by many and was a kind-hearted and hardworking student with a heart-warming smile,” she wrote, noting she was set to graduate in 2026.

Another student, Theo Richards, 18, died by suicide on July 12.

“Theo will be remembered as a kind soul who worked hard for those he loved,” wrote Anderson. “He shared his care for others often and had a positive impact on those around him.“

“As a school community, we are grieving, and we know our students and families may also be impacted by this heartbreaking news. Now, more than ever, we come together with compassion and care for one another,” she said.

She encourage anyone needing help to reach out to the district and to one of several community resources, including Richland School District Crisis Resources and www.rsd.edu/crisis-resources and the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, by calling or texting 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to chat online.

This story was originally published August 12, 2025 at 7:53 PM.