Identity released of woman killed in crash with Benton County deputy

A 39-year-old woman has been identified as the passenger who died in an early Sunday crash with a Benton County sheriff’s car.

Jessica Sanders was a passenger in a dark-colored car being pursued by police after the driver, Antonio De Jesus Martinez, allegedly fired a shot at a Kennewick police officer, according to a Kennewick news release.

Martinez, 35, is being held in the Benton County jail on suspicion of vehicular homicide, vehicular assault and drive-by shooting.

It’s unclear what the relationship was between Sanders and Martinez, or why she was in the car when Martinez reportedly fired toward the officer parked on the 100 block of North Edison Street at 4:20 a.m. Sunday.

The sedan was heading south past the officer when Martinez allegedly fired, Kennewick police said. The officer was not wounded and it’s unclear if the car was hit.

Police officers and sheriff’s deputies in the area began searching for the sedan. And a Benton County deputy spotted the car near the corner of South Union Street and Creekstone Drive.

When the deputy signaled for the car to stop, Martinez allegedly sped away.

Deputies began chasing him.

Police said Martinez then drove straight into another Benton County deputy’s police car at the intersection of Eighth Place and Vancouver Street.

Martinez was arrest at the scene, treated at a hospital and then jailed.

Sanders was found unresponsive inside of the car and died before medics could get her to a hospital, said police.

This story was originally published March 27, 2023 at 12:08 PM.