OTHELLO, WA – The Washington State Patrol is investigating a fatal collision that occurred in Central Washington state on Wednesday.
According to police, a 1998 Mercury Sable was being driven southbound on State Highway 17, about 5 miles north of Othello. A 2011 Ford Taurus was being driven northbound on the same highway.
Police say, at about 3:30 p.m., the driver of the Mercury attempted to pass another vehicle in a no passing zone. The driver of the Mercury, 28-year-old Cesar Hernandez, of Moses Lake overcorrected and struck the Taurus.
Hernandez was pronounced deceased at the scene. A passenger in the Mercury, 20-year-old Angel Valenzuela of Moses Lake, also died at the scene. Police say Hernandez and Valenzuela were not wearing seatbelts. Two other passengers, a 20-year-old woman and an 18-year-old woman, were both transported to a local hospital.
The driver and two passengers in the Taurus were all injured and transported to a local hospital.