A 71-year-old man using a wheelchair was killed Saturday night after a truck struck him while he was crossing North First Street in Yakima, police say. The Yakima Police Department responded to the crash at the intersection with East F Street at about 11:05 p.m. on September 19, and the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to AppleValleyNewsNow.com, the man was hit by a southbound pickup truck as he crossed the street, and the driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with investigators. The truck involved was a southbound 2019 Chevrolet pickup, per a Yakima Police Department dispatch report relayed by 509 Media. That outlet also reported that Yakima Fire Department crews and American Medical Response personnel rendered emergency aid in the 500 block of North First Street before the man died at the scene.
The investigation remains ongoing, and police said intoxicants were not suspected to be a factor. Yakima police have asked anyone with information about the crash to contact Officer Darius Williams at 509-306-3814.
A Corridor Already Targeted for Safety Upgrades
The crash unfolded along a stretch of North First Street where the City of Yakima has been carrying out a multi-phase, $15.5 million revitalization project between U.S. Highway 12 and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, according to city planning materials hosted on ArcGIS. That effort, spanning roughly 1.5 miles of roadway in northern Yakima, is aimed at upgrading pedestrian sidewalks, street lighting, and traffic safety features.
Under Washington's Revised Code of Washington 70.84.040, drivers approaching a person using a wheelchair are legally required to take all necessary precautions to avoid injury and must yield the right-of-way inside crosswalks, according to the Washington State Legislature. State law also classifies anyone operating a manual or motorized wheelchair as a pedestrian, granting them the same rights and responsibilities as foot traffic on public roadways, per WSU Police.
Tougher Penalties
Washington's vulnerable road user laws mean negligent drivers who cause a fatal crash involving a pedestrian or wheelchair user can face a gross misdemeanor carrying up to 364 days in jail, a $5,000 fine, and a 90-day license suspension, according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission. No charges or citations have been announced in connection with Saturday's crash.
Preliminary state data recorded 148 pedestrian fatalities across Washington in 2025, a slight decrease from 158 in 2024 and down from an all-time high of 160 in 2023, per the same commission. That data also showed fatal collisions involving drivers aged 70 and older reached an all-time high of 112 statewide in 2025, even as overall traffic fatalities fell 10.5% year-over-year, dropping from 731 deaths in 2024 to 659 in 2025.
Separately, Washington emergency departments treated 1,927 pedestrians for traffic collision injuries in 2024, a 2.4% increase from 1,882 emergency visits the year before, according to the Washington State Department of Health. Research compiled by the Municipal Research and Services Center shows that a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling 20 mph has a 90% survival rate, a figure that drops to 50% at 30 mph and just 15% at 40 mph, with experts noting that the growing prevalence of large pickup trucks and SUVs further compounds collision severity for pedestrians.
Second Fatal Yakima Pedestrian Crash in Weeks
The investigation into Saturday's crash continues.
