Update: 34-year-old ID’d as driver killed in head-on crash on Hanford nuclear site

A 34-year-old man is dead and another driver hurt in an early head-on crash on Highway 24, south of the Vernita Bridge on the Hanford nuclear site.

Jeffrey Ebey, of Sumas, Wash., died in the Thursday wreck, Benton County Coroner Bill Leach said.

Investigators said Ebey was heading west in a Chevy Colorado pickup about 3:30 a.m. when he crossed the center line into the oncoming lane, according to a Washington State Patrol release.

He collided with a GMC Rally van driven by Jeffrey D. Lewis, 40, of Pasco.

Ebey died at the scene and Lewis was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland. His condition was not immediately available.

Both drivers were wearing seat belts, said the WSP.

Leach said the coroner’s office is having Ebey’s blood tested to determine if drugs or alcohol played a role in the collision.

Hanford nuclear reservations workers were notified to find alternate routes during the morning commute after traffic was backed up for miles on the rural highway.

This story was originally published January 26, 2023 at 4:36 PM.