Highway 395 crash near Country Mercantile blamed on inattention

A Richland couple were injured in a Saturday morning crash near a busy intersection near Country Mercantile.

Samuel Mercado, 38, of Sunnyside was heading toward Country Mercantile on Crestloch Road around 7:30 a.m., the Washington State Patrol said. He made it across the southbound lanes of Highway 395 in his Ford Ranger pickup, but didn’t notice the Honda Odyssey heading north.

He hit the minivan, sending it off the road.

The two people inside the Honda — Gary Laplant, 59 and Tammie Laplant, 58, of Richland — were treated at Lourdes Medical Center.

Mercado was cited for negligent driving, the state patrol said.

The crash caused delays on the highway.

This story was originally published March 7, 2020 at 12:11 PM.