Woman and 2 kids hurt in Finley hit-and-run crash that flipped their SUV

A Benton City driver is suspected of causing a serious crash in Finley on Sunday evening that injured a woman and two children.

The collision happened about 7:30 p.m. Sunday on Highway 397 Finley Road about five miles south of the Kennewick city limits, said the Washington State Patrol.

WSP investigators say Christopher M. Smith, 40, was driving south on the rural highway in a Jeep Patriot SUV when he failed to yield to an oncoming GMC Terrain and they collided. The GMC ended up on its side.

The GMC was driven by Maria Verduzco Guerrero, 42, of Kennewick. She was injured along with a 10-year-old boy and 5-year-old girl. All three were taken by ambulance to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland with non-life-threatening injuries.. All were wearing seat belts, said a WSP memo.

Smith reportedly ran from the scene and is under investigation for hit-and-run driving.

This story was originally published August 11, 2025 at 11:25 AM.