WA officials, lawmakers to meet on ‘alarming’ Hwy 395 deaths and crashes
Tri-Cities leaders are bringing together key players from across the state to address the growing death toll on a stretch of Highway 395 north of Pasco.
Franklin County commissioners, Washington state Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, and Rep. Mark Klicker, R-Walla Walla, issued a call on Friday for a “critical regional public discussion to address the alarming and rising number of fatal collisions.”
The county will host a public input meeting next week with city and county leaders, state representatives, staff from state agencies, the Benton Franklin Council of Governments and more.
They’ve also invited Washington state’s congressional delegation.
“As elected representatives, our number one priority is public safety,” the commissioners said in a joint release. “We believe it is our responsibility to take immediate and direct action on this issue. The need for immediate attention is urgent.”
The meeting is set for 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at the HAPO Center, 6600 Burden Blvd. in Pasco.
The commissioners stressed that “public input and direct participation are indispensable as they seek collaborative, actionable solutions to enhance the safety of this vital transportation route.”
Four people have been killed in three wrecks since August between the King City truck stop area of Pasco and Crestloch Road.
The intersections near the Country Mercantile store are of particular concern, including Crestloch Road, East Vineyard Drive, Foster Wells Road and Sagemoor Road.
There have been about two dozen fatal wrecks on Highway 395 in Franklin County since 2015. More than half of those happened in the roughly five-mile stretch between East Vineyard and Sagemoor, according to Washington state Traffic Safety Commission data.
Most of the wrecks involved vehicles attempting to cross the highway.
Franklin County leaders have pointed to the highway’s high speed limit, mix of heavy commercial traffic, agricultural equipment being moved and congestion due to growing population.
Asking for help
Last week, Franklin County leaders sent a letter to the Washington State Patrol, state Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Congressmen Dan Newhouse and Michael Baumgartner, Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and state representatives.
They also reached out to leaders from the Port of Pasco, city of Pasco, Benton Franklin Council of Governments, which does regional transportation planning, and the state and federal departments of agriculture
In the letter, Franklin County asked for help with:
• Increased emphasis patrols and presence from Washington State Patrol, especially during commute times and peak agricultural seasons.
• A traffic review to determine what improvements could be made to make the roadway and intersections safer.
• Dedicated safety funding and partnerships, including any available money the highway safety improvement commission can fast track.
They also want to see long-term planning for growth made a priority.
Fatal wrecks
On Tuesday, Kahlotus Councilman Perrie Robitaille was killed when he was struck by another vehicle while attempting to cross the highway at East Vineyard Drive.
Last Friday, Timothy Korchmar, 28, of Spokane Valley, was seriously injured on Highway 395 near Crestloch Road.
Korchmar was driving a semi truck and struck a pilot truck for a tractor, spinning the truck out of the way and hitting the back of the tractor trailer.
Earlier this year, several people have been killed in wrecks at other intersections on the stretch of Highway 395 just north of Pasco.
In August, a Richland mother and her teen daughter were killed at Highway 395 and Foster Wells Road. Rafaela Alquicira Huipio, 50, was driving west on Foster Wells Road when she attempted to cross the highway. She cleared the northbound lanes, but did not yield to southbound traffic, WSP said.
She and her daughter, Yureli Ontiveros Alquicira, 17, died.
Less than two weeks later Patricia Wallum, 73, of Vancouver, Wash., was crossing the highway at the intersection with Crestloch Road when she failed to yield while attempting a left turn across the northbound lanes of the highway. She was struck by an SUV and died at a local hospital.
In late 2023, Luis Acosta Hernandez, 23, was killed at the same intersection as Robitaille when he failed to yield to traffic while trying to cross the highway.
This story was originally published December 5, 2025 at 12:38 PM.
