A Thursday afternoon drive on State Route 12 in Walla Walla County turned into two crashes, a hours-long highway closure and a sheriff's patrol vehicle wrecked at the side of the road — and, by luck, no one was inside the cruiser when it was hit.
Source: 102.7 KORD (Townsquare), reporting Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office and Washington State Patrol
The first crash was reported at about 4:08 p.m. on Thursday, November 5, near Reese, Washington, a small community about 23 miles west of Walla Walla and roughly eight miles east of Touchet. According to the Washington State Patrol, as reported by 102.7 KORD, a 38-year-old man from Pasco was driving westbound when his vehicle crossed the centre line and hit an eastbound pickup truck head-on.
Source: 102.7 KORD (Townsquare), reporting Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office and Washington State Patrol
Both vehicles rolled in the collision. The Pasco driver was injured and was taken to an area hospital for treatment; a LifeFlight helicopter was requested to the scene, although authorities had not confirmed whether it transported him. The driver of the pickup was not hurt. Troopers say the Pasco man is facing DUI charges — those charges are allegations, and the State Patrol's investigation into the original collision is continuing.
Source: 102.7 KORD (Townsquare), reporting Walla Walla County Sheriff's Office and Washington State Patrol
The second crash: a cruiser with its lights on, hit anyway
While troopers worked the rollover scene, Walla Walla County sheriff's deputies moved in to control traffic. A deputy's patrol vehicle was positioned east of Nine Mile Hill — near the earlier serious collision by Oasis Road, west of Nine Mile Ranch — with its emergency lights activated, diverting drivers away from the scene. Deputies were outside in required high-visibility vests, using handheld flashlights to alert approaching drivers, the Sheriff's Office said.
Source: Tri-Cities Area Journal / Yakima Herald-Republic Action News (triyaknews.com)
Another civilian driver then slammed into the parked cruiser, causing serious damage to the patrol vehicle. The deputy was not in the vehicle at the time, and neither the civilian driver nor any deputy was injured, the Sheriff's Office confirmed. The Sheriff's Office has not said what caused the second crash, or whether charges will be filed against the second driver.
Source: Tri-Cities Area Journal / Yakima Herald-Republic Action News (triyaknews.com)
Closure and detour on a key Tri-Cities corridor
State Route 12 was closed for several hours because of the two crashes. As of 6:45 p.m. Thursday, the highway was still closed westbound from Touchet, and drivers heading west from Walla Walla were advised to find an alternate route. Eastbound drivers travelling from the Tri-Cities toward Walla Walla were encouraged to use State Route 124, with officials warning that anyone who stayed on SR 12 could face lengthy backups for the rest of the evening. Deputies said they would post another update once the highway reopened.
Source: Tri-Cities Area Journal / Yakima Herald-Republic Action News (triyaknews.com)
SR 12 is the main highway link between the Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick and Richland) and Walla Walla. If you are dispatched through this corridor, check WSDOT and Washington State Patrol updates before rolling: a closure at Touchet pushes traffic onto SR 124, adding time to the run.
Why this keeps happening on SR 12
This was the second serious Highway 12 crash in Walla Walla County in less than a week. Early on Sunday, November 1, a single-vehicle rollover on US-12 about six miles west of Walla Walla killed a 20-year-old passenger and injured two others, in a crash the State Patrol said involved drugs or alcohol. Thursday's sequence underlines a pattern troopers across Washington warn about every winter season: an impairment-related crash creates a second danger zone, because responders, tow crews and diverted traffic are all exposed on the shoulder and in slowed lanes.
Washington's 'move over' rules require drivers approaching an emergency scene to slow down and, where it is safe, change lanes away from stopped emergency vehicles with lights flashing. The wrecked cruiser on SR 12 — lights on, deputies in high-visibility vests, flashlights in hand — is exactly the scene those rules are written for, and exactly why the Sheriff's Office stressed that drivers must slow down, stay alert and give responders room to work.
Source: Tri-Cities Area Journal / Yakima Herald-Republic Action News (triyaknews.com)
What happens next
The Washington State Patrol is handling the investigation into the original rollover collision, and the Sheriff's Office said it has no additional information about that crash. The injured Pasco driver's condition had not been released, the DUI allegation against him will move through Walla Walla County's court process if charges are filed, and the cause of the cruiser strike — including whether the second driver faces charges — remains unannounced. Awaaz Punjab will update this story if the State Patrol releases its collision report.