PATERSON, WA : Two killed in Benton County crash on Wednesday, February 1st 2017

Two Oregon men were killed Wednesday in a State Route 14 crash involving a semi-truck that left the highway closed for several hours.

Alfredo Perez, 48, of Umatilla, Ore., was driving a Chrysler minivan west about 5:30 a.m. on SR 14, 6 miles east of Paterson in Benton County when he attempted to pass another vehicle. That’s when the minivan crashed head-on into an eastbound semi-truck driven by Abel Garcia, 37, of Toppenish, according to a State Patrol news release.

Ramiro Valdez-Galvez, 29, of Umatilla, and Pedro Santiago-Menchu, 37, of Hermiston, Ore., who were passengers in the minivan, were pronounced dead at the scene, the release stated. Perez was injured and taken to Kadlec Medical Center. His condition was not immediately available.

Officials closed the highway for several hours and reopened it at 2:30 p.m.

Drugs or alcohol were not factors in the crash. Perez and Garcia were wearing seat belts; it’s unknown if Valdez-Galvez and Santiago-Menchu were wearing restraints, according to the release.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Source :
Two killed in Benton County crash