Driver in fatal 104-mph motorcycle crash will remain out of jail before his trial

An Othello man faces an April 10 trial for allegedly killing a motorcyclist while driving 104 miles an hour in Franklin County.

Larry C. Pence Jr., 41, pleaded innocent this week during a brief hearing in Franklin County Superior Court.

He is charged with vehicular homicide for the May 11 crash north of Pasco, near Eltopia.

Prosecutors accuse Pence of driving recklessly when his own motorcycle slammed into the back of the motorcycle driven by John Chacon Orozco Sr.

Orozco, 57, died at the scene.

The great-grandfather from Basin City had been stopped on Dogwood Road before he turned north onto Glade North Road.

Sheriff’s investigators believe Orozco noticed Pence’s approaching motorcycle before he pulled out “several seconds” ahead of him, court documents said.

But Orozco might not have realized that Pence was driving almost twice the posted 55-mph speed limit on the rural road after midnight.

Pence — whose motorcycle continued north after the crash before stopping — was treated at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland for his own injuries.

Prosecutors waited to receive the results of toxicology tests done by the Washington State Patrol crime lab before charging Pence earlier this month.

While paramedics said Pence smelled like alcohol at the scene, a drunk driving allegation is not included in the charging documents.

He was allowed to remain out of jail without bail while awaiting trial.

This story was originally published January 25, 2019 at 12:39 PM.