Driver with history of DUIs accused of Hanford nuclear site crash, then running off

A 60-year-old driver is reported on the run after causing a crash on the Hanford nuclear site and then walking away toward the Columbia River.

Bruce Roderick of Spokane is wanted in connection with Thursday’s hit-and-run collision that injured another driver when he flipped a U-turn on the two-lane highway that crosses the Hanford site, said the Washington State Patrol.

He crashed into a car just south of the Vernita Bridge over the Columbia River.

Roderick, who was wanted on outstanding arrest warrants and has a history of drunk driving, was last seen walking on the Grant County side of the river, said the WSP.

The 5:30 p.m. crash partially blocked Highway 24, which crosses the Hanford site, until about 10:30 p.m., said the state Department of Transportation.

Troopers say Roderick was driving a 2011 Dodge minivan toward the Tri-Cities when he made the U-turn about 13 miles south of the small farming town of Mattawa.

His van collided with a 2013 BMW driven by Fernando Preciado, 24, of Prosser.

Preciado was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland. His condition was not immediately available Friday.

When troopers got there, they spotted a man believed to be Roderick walking near the river but were unable to track him down later, WSP Trooper Sarah Clasen told the Tri-City Herald.

A woman passenger in Roderick’s van also reportedly fled the crash but it’s not clear if officers caught up with her.

Clasen said empty alcohol containers were found inside Roderick’s van, though the involvement of alcohol or drugs in the collision is still under investigation.

Roderick has a 2023 conviction in Grant County for felony DUI, which means he’s had at least two previous convictions for DUI. He was sentenced to 13 months in prison.

He also has outstanding warrants for his arrest and a suspended driver’s license, Clasen said.

This story was originally published September 13, 2024 at 11:13 AM.