Tri-Cities mother dies in motorcycle crash, flowers left for teens killed in weekend wreck
A 50-year-old mom died after losing control of her motorcycle on Canal Drive Sunday night.
Investigators believe speed was a factor when Kristina Middleton of Kennewick went off the road on the corner approaching the intersection with Columbia Center Boulevard about 7:10 p.m., Kennewick police said in a news release.
It appears from damage at the scene that she hit a parked Ford F-250 on the north side of Canal Drive. The motorcycle continued back onto the road.
Emergency crews tried to save Middleton’s life, but weren’t successful.
The Kennewick Police Department Traffic Unit responded to the scene and is continuing to investigate.
The crash and investigation shut down Canal Drive for nearly four hours, according to the release. The road opened again.
According to a Facebook post from a motorcycle group, Middleton had recently started riding.
Middleton had at least two children.
Several people on social media mourned her, saying they were in shock from the suddenness of her death.
She had recently gotten out of a relationship with a longtime boyfriend, that allegedly ended with him attacking her outside of a Kennewick apartment complex earlier this year, according to Herald archives.
Family members said they are working on organizing a fundraising account for her funeral expenses.
Homestead crash
The wreck was one of two fatal crashes in the Tri-Cities over the weekend.
Mally Bruckelmyer, 16, of Burbank, and Carma Pekkala, 15, of Pasco, died when the car they were in crashed Friday night just south Kennewick.
People had been visiting the scene of the crash on Homestead Drive, and laid out a collection of flowers over the course of the weekend.
The two teens were part of a group of six girls between the ages of 15 to 17, who appeared to be heading to a party about 9:20 p.m., according to the Benton County Sheriff’s Office and coroners.
The unnamed driver appeared to have been speeding on an unfamiliar road when she lost control of the car on a corner, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post. The car went off the road and into a ravine.
Bruckelmyer died at the scene, and Pekkala was taken to a local hospital were she died.
It appears that Bruckelmyer was not wearing her seat belt when the crash happened, Chief Deputy Coroner Dennis Morris said.
The two girls were high school students, according to information from the funeral home handling their arrangements. Bruckelmyer attended Columbia High School in Burbank, and Pekkala was a Pasco High School student.
Counselors are going to be available at Pasco High School for the rest of the week, said Anna Tensmeyer, the district’s director of public affairs.
“The Pasco School District is committed to providing the support and care needed by our students and staff who have been affected by this loss,” the district said in a statement to the press. “We have ensured that additional counselors are available at Pasco High School throughout this week. Students can access these resources by reaching out to their counselor or administrators.
“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of all who were impacted by this tragedy.”
Initial reports said three teens had severe injuries and one had moderate injuries. It’s unclear if any of those were Pekkala.
The other girls appear to have survived.
There was no indication that drugs or alcohol was involved in the crash.
This story was originally published October 9, 2023 at 11:09 AM.