Richland man found dead 6 hours after crashing near Benton City

A Richland man died in a car crash early Friday but the wreck wasn’t found for more than six hours.

Joshua A. McClary, 26, was driving east on Interstate 82 near Benton City when he lost control of his PT Cruiser just before 4 a.m., said the Washington State Patrol.

He was talking on the phone to his girlfriend at the time. She called police but officers could not find the wrecked car, according to dispatch reports.

It wasn’t until 10:30 a.m. that a passerby spotted the PT Cruiser off the opposite side of the highway, about four miles east of Prosser, said the WSP.

McClary had crossed the I-82 median into the westbound lanes and rolled down an embankment. He was wearing a seat belt but died at the scene.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, said the WSP.