RITZVILLE, Wash. – U.S. Highway 395 in Ritzville was salted before a fatal crash Saturday.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) confirmed Sunday that the intersection was salted multiple times. Crews are currently operating on a 24-hour winter schedule.
Washington State Patrol (WSP) troopers stated that the driver was moving too fast at the time of the crash. The driver died in the crash.
There were eight other people in the SUV, and seven of them were not wearing seatbelts.
“We have a shed right there in Ritzville, so I can tell you that it was treated multiple times throughout the day as conditions continue to worsen in the afternoon and evening as kind of that system moves through with the freezing rain,” WSDOT’s Ryan Overton said.
Investigators revealed that the SUV left the roadway, rolled over, and stopped in the center median.
WSP advises drivers to always drive slowly in winter weather conditions.
