Update: Tri-Cities man dies in head-on crash on Hanford site. He was headed to work

A Tri-Cities man died in a head-on crash on the Hanford nuclear reservation during the evening commute Thursday.

Reese Cameron, 43, of Kennewick, died at the scene, according to information from the Benton County Coroner’s Office. He lived in the Finley area.

Cameron was heading north in a red car on Route 4 South toward the Wye Barricade, the secure entrance to the central area of the Department of Energy nuclear reservation north of Richland.

He crossed the center line just after 5 p.m. Thursday near the Energy Northwest Columbia Generating Station nuclear plant, said Benton County Sgt. Scott Surplus.

Cameron hit a pickup heading in the opposite direction head on. The name of the pickup’s driver was not immediately released.

Investigators haven’t determined why Cameron crossed into the oncoming lane.

Cameron worked the night shift at the Hanford vitrification plant for the Waste Treatment Completion Co., the Bechtel National subcontractor at the vit plant site. He had worked as a laborer there since early fall as a member of Laborers Local 348.

Benton County Sheriff’s Office and the Hanford Patrol responded to investigate.

More than five hours after the crash Hanford workers were being told that Route 4 South remained closed in both directions. They were told to divert to Route 10 or Highway 240.

“We are sad to hear that one of our own is gone,” said Valerie McCain, Bechtel vit plant project director, and Rick Holmes, Waste Treatment Completion Co. general manager, in a message to employees Friday.

Their thoughts also were with the driver of the pickup, who was injured. And they said they appreciated the emergency and law enforcement personnel who responded Thursday evening.

In November 2018 a Hanford worker died in a crash in the same area as the Thursday crash.

Mikhaill “Mike” Stewart was heading north on Route 4 South when his motorcycle hit a deer near the Energy Northwest nuclear power plant.

This story was originally published January 21, 2021 at 10:52 PM.