Another crash at same Tri-Cities intersection where 3 died last year. Alcohol again suspected
A traffic signal at a busy Richland intersection was again slammed into at a high speed over the weekend.
Traffic was flowing smoothly Tuesday morning as commuters made their way along George Washington Way after the long holiday weekend.
A temporary signal is in place for now but Pete Rogalsky, the city’s public works director, said it’s too early to tell when they will be able to install a permanent pole.
The same signal on a traffic island on George Washington Way at Jadwin Avenue near downtown Richland, Wash., was sheared off last February by a driver accused of drinking and racing.
It took city contractors months to make the last repairs because of a manufacturing snafu and slow turnaround from the company.
It’s suspected alcohol played a role in both crashes. Last February, three passengers died when their friend missed the slight curve in the road and hit the pole.
Then, early Sunday a 29-year-old driver also was headed south on George Washington Way in a silver pickup truck when he took down the overhead signal and pole, social media posts show.
Uriel Garcia, 29, was identified by Richland police as the driver who was arrested. He was checked for injuries at Kadlec Regional Medical Center before he was booked Sunday morning into the Benton County jail on a DUI charge, according to police and jail records. He had no passengers at the time.
Sunday’s accident closed George Washington Way between Lee and Bradley Boulevard for about 15 hours while a temporary signal could be erected.
Deadly 2022 crash
The same traffic signal was damaged Feb. 26, 2022, when Jennifer A. Duong, then 19, was allegedly racing with another car on George Washington Way and lost control.
She slammed into the pole, shearing the car in half and killing her three friends Andres E. Morfin, 20, Lianna V. Salazar, 19, and Daniel A. Trejo, 19.
Witnesses told investigators that she had been driving erratically, and she allegedly admitted to drinking a shot of vodka and 1 1/2 beers earlier in the night, according to court documents.
Prosecutors charged her with three counts of vehicular homicide, with allegations that she was driving drunk and in a reckless manner.
She was released from jail after posting a $250,000 bond. Her trial is set for April 17.
Busy intersection
The traffic signal is just north of a 1-acre former motel site that the city of Richland bought last March for $1.2 million.
The Richland City Council recently awarded a $437,000 contract to demolish the motel and are considering the site south of the intersection for a possible future fire station.
A private developer has purchased the property on the north side of the intersection, next to the Richland Player’s Theatre for a “mixed-use” project, city officials have said.
This story was originally published January 17, 2023 at 4:54 PM.
