Update: Richland man ID’d as pedestrian hit and killed crossing Gway

A man accused of hitting and killing a pedestrian Sunday night on George Washington Way initially told police he had not been drinking, according to a court document.

But after a preliminary breath test result of 0.128%, Jason Paul Petty, 40, admitted he had been drinking beer at The Pub in Kennewick, according to the court document. The legal limit is 0.08% in Washington state.

Leslie Karel, 66, of Richland, died after he was hit about 10:30 p.m. in a northbound lane of George Washington Way near the Safeway plaza in Richland.

An autopsy was planned Tuesday, said Benton County Coroner Bill Leach.

Richland police who responded to a report of a pedestrian hit arrived to find Karel lying in the street with a bystander performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

A Richland officer assisted with CPR until emergency medical workers arrived and took over, according to a court document. But they were unable to save Karel, who was originally from Yakima.

The same officer spoke to bystanders, including Petty, who said he was the driver of a Silverado pickup truck with front end damage that was stopped in the roadway, according to a court document.

“He appeared very emotional and upset,” according to the court document. The officer describe his speech as slightly slurred and his thought process somewhat scattered, although he noted that could have been due to the trauma of the incident, according to the document.

Petty said he had been driving home from Burger King when a pedestrian suddenly walked into the roadway. He said he did not see him in time to stop, according to the court document.

Petty was booked into the Benton County jail about 1:30 a.m. Monday on suspicion of vehicular homicide in connection with Karel’s death.

On Monday afternoon, Superior Court Judge Joseph Burrowes set Petty’s bail at $200,000 and appointed a public defense attorney to represent him.

Petty told the judge he was a truck driver with three dependents and is making payments to buy a mobile home.

He told Burrowes he was somewhat confused and unfamiliar with the court process.

Records show he had a prior DUI in Arizona 18 years ago.

He’s set to appear again in court on Thursday.

This story was originally published August 11, 2025 at 11:03 AM.