2 injured in crash on Vernita Bridge, closed road for hours
A collision on the Vernita Bridge tied up traffic crossing the Columbia River for hours Wednesday morning.
Martin Bautista-Escalante, 30, of Mattawa, was going west across the bridge on Highway 24 when he lost control of his Honda Accord. He crossed the center line at 6:48 a.m. and slammed into a Toyota Tundra pickup, the Washington State Patrol said.
Bautista-Escalante and the Tundra’s driver, Uriel M. Madera, 43, of Sunnyside, weren’t hurt.
The state patrol said Vicente Reyes, 37, and Juan Hernandez, 39, both of Mattawa, were transported to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland.
Bautista-Escalante was cited for driving too fast for the conditions and driving with a suspended license.
The crash closed the bridge for several hours while officers investigated.
It was one of several collisions on Benton and Franklin county roads Wednesday morning.
Cameron Probert: 509-582-1402, @cameroncprobert
This story was originally published November 29, 2017 at 6:07 PM with the headline "2 injured in crash on Vernita Bridge, closed road for hours."