25-year-old Richland woman is 2nd person to die after Horn Rapids head-on crash
A second person has died after a head-on crash along Highway 240 near Richland.
Charlette Burghard, 25, of Richland, was driving a Ford Focus west on the highway on Feb. 10 when Victor L. Groves, 50, of Outlook, crossed the center line in a Ford F150 pickup near the Horn Rapids Golf Course, the Washington State Patrol said.
A Mercedes E-Class behind Burghard’s Focus also was hit by the truck in the 6:10 a.m. collision.
Groves’ passenger Benedict J. Beigler, 56, of Yakima, died that day.
Burghard was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, where she was treated for about a week. Coroner Bill Leach confirmed she died Wednesday night.
Investigators said Beigler was wearing a seat belt but Burghard was not.
She worked at the Hanford site nuclear reservation. According to her LinkedIn profile she worked at Advanced Technologies and Laboratories and was a biochemistry graduate from Eastern Oregon University. She moved to Richland in 2018.
Friends were posting on Facebook their memories of her as being caring, hardworking and kind.
After the crash, Groves was taken to Kadlec and was in critical condition. Mercedes’ driver, Leiah E. Peale, 57, of Kennewick, was taken to Trios Southridge Hospital and was in serious condition initially.
The Washington State Patrol is continuing to investigate what happened that morning on the highway known as the Hanford highway.
This story was originally published February 18, 2022 at 5:00 AM.