A 49-year-old man from Kennewick died early Friday after the car he was driving veered off westbound State Route 14 in Vancouver, spun out, and burst into flames. The crash happened around 2:16 a.m. near Lieser Road, leaving investigators with few answers about what caused it.
According to KPTV, Washington State Patrol said the driver was behind the wheel of a red 2002 Subaru Forester when it veered into the right shoulder ditch. The vehicle then spun out before catching fire, troopers said. The man died at the scene, and his name had not yet been released as of the station's report.
Investigators have not said what caused the Subaru to leave the roadway in the first place. The station's report notes that it remains unknown whether drugs or alcohol played any role in the crash, and the overall cause is still under investigation.
A Stretch of Highway With a History
Friday's crash occurred near the same stretch of SR 14 and Lieser Road where another fatal single-vehicle wreck happened years earlier. In that incident, reported by The Columbian, Washington State Patrol identified a Vancouver man, 42-year-old Darin Thorp, as the driver killed in an early-morning single-vehicle crash on a Thursday. Thorp was driving a 2000 Chevrolet Avalanche eastbound when it left the roadway and rolled about 35 feet into a ditch east of South Lieser Road.
Separately, Accident Data Center has documented another single-vehicle rollover crash on state Highway 14 in Vancouver, in which one motorist was injured and taken to the hospital. These incidents are not presented as evidence of a broader pattern on the highway, but they underscore that this corridor has seen serious wrecks before.
Investigation Continues
For now, troopers have not released additional details about the man killed Friday, including his identity. The cause of the crash, and whether impairment was a factor, remains unresolved as Washington State Patrol continues its investigation.
