Tri-Cities woman killed trying to change lanes on Interstate 182 in Pasco
A 23-year-old Tri-Cities caregiver died Sunday after losing control of her SUV while trying to change lanes on Interstate 182 in Pasco.
Erika Y. Rojas Barragan, 23, of Pasco, was heading west in a 2003 GMC Yukon about 10 a.m. when she hit a Nissan Pathfinder, the Washington State Patrol said in a traffic memo.
One SUV flipped and ended up in the median on its roof, while the other crashed through a nearby fence, according to reports from the scene. The crash happened between the Highway 395 interchange and Road 68 exit.
Rojas Barragan was not wearing her seat belt at the time and died at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, said the WSP.
The Nissan driver, Eduardo Rosales-Ambrocio, 20, of Pasco, was not hurt in the collision.
The state patrol said the cause of the crash is still under investigation.
Rojas Barragan’s mother, Erika Barragan, started a GoFundMe campaign to help pay the funeral costs for her daughter. Donations can be made to bit.ly/BarraganFundraiser.
She was born in Mexico but had lived in Pasco for 16 years, according to a funeral home death notice.
This story was originally published December 23, 2024 at 11:27 AM.