Wrong-way drunk driver who killed Pasco mom, 2 kids is headed to prison
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Yakima man who pleaded guilty to three vehicular homicides from DUI crash is sentenced in Pasco.
- He drove wrong way on I-182 after alcohol and cannabis consumption.
- Judge sentenced him to prison for over 12 years.
A Yakima man is headed to prison for killing a mother and two children in a drunk driving wreck.
Zachary N. Schwartz, 38, entered a change of plea Tuesday in Franklin County Superior Court, admitting guilt for his role in the fatal wrong-way crash that killed the family days after Christmas last year.
Schwartz had been drinking and taken a cannabis edible before getting on Interstate 182 in the wrong direction, according to court documents.
The crash killed 39-year-old Guadalupe Vergara Gonzalez of Pasco and her 22-month-old toddler nearly instantly. Her 6-year-old son was left brain dead, and he later died at a Spokane hospital.
Her husband, Rodrigo Torres-Gonzalez, 42, of Pasco, who was driving, suffered a broken arm.
Schwartz previously pleaded guilty to three counts of vehicular homicide under the influence of drugs or alcohol and one count of third-degree assault causing substantial bodily harm.
Judge Bronson Brown sentenced Schwartz to 12 1/2 years in prison, followed by 18 months of community supervision. That’s near the maximum he could have been sentenced to in a Washington state standard range of 120 to 158 months.
Franklin County Prosecutor Shawn Sant said the wreck was captured on a dashcam video from a commercial vehicle traveling behind the victims.
“This was a tragic case because the lone surviving victim of the crash lost his wife and two children,” Sant told the Tri-City Herald.
“We want to thank the first responders who witnessed a tragic scene and made valiant attempts to save the lives of the young children, ages 6 and just under 2 years old, who were involved in the crash,” he said.
Sant said many extended family members were present at the sentencing hearing to support Torres-Gonzalez, as well as members of the Washington State Patrol, including the lead detective.
Schwartz made an emotional statement, apologizing to the family and for the pain he caused them, Sant said.. He also told the court he would never drink again.
“If you drink, do not drive,” Sant said. “A father and husband lost his entire family due to drunk driving.”
Fatal wreck on Interstate 182
Schwartz told investigators that he had two drinks at a bar about two to three hours before getting behind the wheel of the Ford Mustang, court documents said.
He said he was coming from the Tri-Cities Airport when he got on the interstate in Pasco, driving east in the westbound lanes. He then slammed head-on into the Honda Civic with the Pasco family about 5:30 p.m.
The first trooper to arrive said Schwartz was laughing while still sitting in the Mustang’s driver’s seat.
He also called his father, an attorney in Yakima, before Trooper Cameron Osmer arrived. Osmer is trained to recognize whether someone is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. When he spoke with Schwartz, he reported smelling alcohol.
Troopers said they also found a wrapper that appeared to come from a cannabis edible on the driver’s side floorboard of the Mustang.
Osmer reported seeing signs of both alcohol and cannabis intoxication. An initial breath test at a local hospital showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.1%, which is above the legal limit of 0.08%.
This story was originally published August 13, 2025 at 11:40 AM.
