A 19-year-old from Sandy was killed Wednesday morning after his pickup smashed into a semi-truck on State Route 97 just north of Goldendale, in the latest deadly crash along the busy highway.
Officials say Tanner Weisz was driving a 2003 Ford F-350 shortly before 8 a.m. near milepost 28 when the northbound pickup drifted onto the shoulder, then overcorrected and crossed the center line into oncoming traffic. The truck rolled and came to rest against a guardrail. Weisz was rushed to a hospital, where he later died. The semi-driver, a 64-year-old man from Stayton, Oregon, was also injured.
What the State Patrol Says
According to KPTV, the Washington State Patrol reported that Weisz was not wearing a seatbelt when the pickup rolled and that the semi-truck and trailer were totaled. Troopers said the semi-driver was wearing his seatbelt, and authorities have not released his condition. The State Patrol continues to investigate and has not indicated whether impairment or any charges are suspected at this time.
SR 97’s Recent Deadly Stretch
This stretch of SR 97 has seen multiple deadly incidents in recent weeks. Washington State Patrol investigators earlier sought witnesses to a June 16 hit-and-run that killed a man riding a tricycle in Goldendale, as reported by hit-and-run that killed a man riding a tricycle. Oregon’s Highway 97 also saw a fatal collision earlier this month, underscoring recent danger on Highway 97 in the region, per KTVZ.
Safety Takeaway
Troopers noted that Weisz was not strapped in at the time of the crash, according to KPTV. National research from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that properly worn lap-and-shoulder seat belts reduce the risk of fatal injury to front-seat occupants by about 45 percent, underscoring the importance of buckling up on every trip. Anyone with information about Wednesday’s crash is asked to contact the Washington State Patrol detachment handling the investigation.
