Firefighters rescue driver from Kennewick canal after medical emergency
A man crashed into a Kennewick canal Friday morning after having a medical emergency.
The driver, described as elderly, was heading east on Kennewick Avenue near Carmichael Drive about 9 a.m. in a Nissan pickup when a medical issue caused him to veer off the road, Officer Sebastian Castilleja, told the Tri-City Herald.
The water, which is about 4-feet deep, didn’t cover the door, but did stop the man from getting out without help.
It appeared Kennewick firefighters rescued the man by getting him out of an open window. He was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.
The man was dehydrated and had vision problems, causing him to misjudge the road, according to Columbia Basin Dive Rescue. He was not injured.
A tow truck was called to the scene to pull the truck out of the canal.
This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 10:02 AM.