Homeless woman identified as victim of fatal pedestrian accident in Kennewick
A 34-year-old homeless woman was identified as the person killed crossing 10th Avenue in Kennewick on Tuesday.
Police identified the woman as Rona Bowles. She was crossing the busy road between Irby Street and the western entrance of Fred Meyer about 7:15 p.m. when she was hit by a Nissan passenger car heading west, police said in a Facebook post.
The area is not well lit and the woman, who was wearing dark clothes, was not in a crosswalk, Commander Isaac Merkl previously told the Tri-City Herald.
Witnesses called 911 and when police and paramedics arrived, they found the woman seriously hurt. She was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center where she died.
The Nissan’s driver, Juvenal Flores, 23, left the crash scene, but stopped about three quarters of a mile later, and he called police. Investigators said the call came 13 minutes after the first people reported Bowles had been hit.
A witness, who was in the car with Flores, told investigators they didn’t see Bowles in the road.
Police do not believe Flores was under the influence of narcotics or alcohol and speeding was not a factor in the crash.
It hasn’t been determined if he was distracted at the time.
Department officials stressed how important it is for drivers to stay vigilant especially when it’s dark, and asked pedestrians to use crosswalks and consider wearing light-colored or reflective clothing when crossing streets after dark, the department said in its Facebook post.
The Kennewick police traffic unit is continuing to investigate. Police are asking anyone with information to call the non-emergency dispatch number at 509-628-0333.
“We express our condolences to the family and friends of Rona Bowles and hope the community can help support and lift them up in the aftermath of this terrible tragedy,” Kennewick police said in the post.
The investigation will be referred to Benton County prosecutors to determine whether Flores will be charged in connection with the wreck.
Recent deaths
This is the third pedestrian seriously injured or killed in the Tri-Cities area in the past month, including a homeless man in Pasco.
Charles Kubik, 65, was crossing Lewis Street in Pasco on Nov. 11, when he was hit and killed.
On Nov. 4, a pedestrian was severely hurt crossing the street on the 1100 block of West 10th Avenue at the Arlo Apartments, near Park Middle School, in Kennewick.
This story was originally published December 5, 2024 at 4:55 PM.