Update: Semi driver trapped after hitting pilot truck on Highway 395 north of Pasco
A truck driver is facing negligent driving charges after a crash with a semi, pickup and tractor sent one person to the hospital and tied up traffic on Highway 395 on Friday.
A semi and tractor were heading north in the right lane of the highway about six miles north of Pasco at 12:20 p.m., Washington State Patrol Trooper Daniel Mosqueda said.
The tractor was going about 25 mph with a pilot pickup truck behind and ahead of it to warn other drivers.
The semi’s driver missed seeing the pilot truck in front of him near Crestloch Road and crashed into the back of the truck, Mosqueda said.
The collision spun the pickup out of the way, and the semi continued into equipment on the back of the tractor trailer.
The semi driver, Timothy Korchmar, 28, of Spokane Valley, was left trapped and needed to be freed by firefighters, Mosqueda said.
He was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland because of broken bones.
Charges of second-degree negligent driving are pending, according to a WSP report.
The cause of the crash was failure to yield, and drugs or alcohol were not involved, according to the WSP.
The pickup and tractor drivers were not injured. The pickup was driven by Ely J. Young, 26, of Mesa, and the tractor was driven by Jose A. Herrera, 34, of Pasco.
One lane of the highway was closed for a couple of hours, snarling traffic.
This story was originally published November 21, 2025 at 4:45 PM.