2nd person dies after trying to cross highway during Franklin deputy chase

A 28-year-old Pasco man has died two days after pulling out in front of a semi truck while being chased by a sheriff’s deputy.

Ricky G. Cruz is the second person to die after the Sunday afternoon crash north of Pasco on Highway 395.

His passenger, 23-year-old Karli E. Moore, was killed immediately. Neither was wearing a seat belt, according to initial reports from the Washington State Patrol.

Cruz died Tuesday while being treated at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, said an update from the WSP.

State troopers are investigating the crash and no new details are being released about what happened and why the deputy was trying to stop Cruz.

Local police agencies routinely ask the WSP to investigate officer-involved crashes. Trooper Chris Thorson estimated the investigation could take two to four weeks to finish.

While it’s not clear why the deputy was in the area of Foster Wells and Blasdel roads, she called into dispatchers at 4:07 p.m. to say she was in the area, according to Broadcastify, a online service that records scanner feeds.

Three minutes later, the deputy said, “I believe I’m going to be out with the vehicle just west of Blasdel.”

Then 20 seconds after, she said the driver “just took off on me.”

The white 2002 Elantra headed west on Foster Wells Road, and the deputy said she was trying to catch up to it.

Two and a half minutes later, Cruz drove onto Highway 395 in front of a semi truck headed south.

Initial WSP reports wrongly said it was a head-on collision.

The truck slammed into the passenger’s side of the car, killing Moore, said Thorson.

The truck driver was not hurt.

This story was originally published May 12, 2021 at 11:06 AM.