2 semis collide on Highway 395

Two semi trucks collided early Wednesday near Eltopia, spilling smelly potato sludge across Highway 395. The northbound lanes were closed for a couple hours for the investigation and cleanup.

Gregorio C. Barrera, 46, of Othello, was pulling away from a weigh station and into the northbound traffic at 4:16 a.m., said Washington State Patrol Trooper Chris Thorson.

The driver of the second semi, Nicolay G. Zaytsev, 33, of Vancouver, apparently wasn’t paying attention and slammed into the other truck as it was getting up to speed, said the WSP.

Both drivers were taken to Lourdes Medical Center in Pasco with minor injuries, troopers said.

The state patrol cited Zaytsev with second-degree negligent driving.

This story was originally published January 30, 2019 at 10:57 AM.