Deadly Crash on Highway 12 in Burbank Kills Wallula Couple
BURBANK -- A 90-year-old Wallula couple was killed after their car rear-ended a semi on Highway 12 Thursday morning. Troopers say 90-year-old Elmer Riley of Wallula was driving westbound on Highway 12 when he rear-ended the truck at the stop light. His wife, 90-year-old Mildred Riley, died on impact. Elmer Riley died hours later in the hospital.
"The speed limit is 60 miles per hour so if they were doing 60 and running into the back of a car, there's going to be serious injuries," Trooper Bryan Ball said.
Haze blanketed parts of the area but whether fog had an impact on Elmer is unclear. Troopers believe Elmer just didn't see the truck or wasn't paying attention.
For locals, it was another grim reminder of what many have referred to as a dangerous intersection. One day ago, KEPR uncovered 72 collisions on Highway 12 and State Route 124, an intersection just down the road. State Patrol said most of those collisions were caused by driver inattention. It's also the same intersection where the Mendez brothers, George and J.J., were killed when their car collided with a semi-truck on Halloween night in 2008.
News of Thursday's deadly wreck spread quickly throughout Burbank. Dan Martin, a Burbank resident, came to the scene to express his concerns to authorities.
"Driver error for sure, but when those trucks come barreling down here at 60, 65 miles an hour, they take their eyes off the road for a second and boom," Martin said. Martin was convinced, saving lives hinged on engineering changes to the traffic lights. He believed the lights need more time, as a buffer, as they change from red to green.
While no other neighbors wanted to go on camera, many viewers logged onto the KEPR Facebook page to speak out. One viewer wrote, "The state says they are focusing on this area. We, as residents of Burbank can see that's not the case."
Trooper Bryan Ball said he's been patrolling the Burbank area for close to a quarter century. "There doesn't seem to be a lot of (accidents), it's just they seem to be serious when we do have them," he said.
This crash is the first fatality since the Mendez brothers died, but Burbank residents believe one death is still too many.
Drugs and alcohol were not a factor in Thursday's wreck. Accident numbers at Humorist and Highway 12 specifically were not immediately available Thursday.
"The speed limit is 60 miles per hour so if they were doing 60 and running into the back of a car, there's going to be serious injuries," Trooper Bryan Ball said.
Haze blanketed parts of the area but whether fog had an impact on Elmer is unclear. Troopers believe Elmer just didn't see the truck or wasn't paying attention.
For locals, it was another grim reminder of what many have referred to as a dangerous intersection. One day ago, KEPR uncovered 72 collisions on Highway 12 and State Route 124, an intersection just down the road. State Patrol said most of those collisions were caused by driver inattention. It's also the same intersection where the Mendez brothers, George and J.J., were killed when their car collided with a semi-truck on Halloween night in 2008.
News of Thursday's deadly wreck spread quickly throughout Burbank. Dan Martin, a Burbank resident, came to the scene to express his concerns to authorities.
"Driver error for sure, but when those trucks come barreling down here at 60, 65 miles an hour, they take their eyes off the road for a second and boom," Martin said. Martin was convinced, saving lives hinged on engineering changes to the traffic lights. He believed the lights need more time, as a buffer, as they change from red to green.
While no other neighbors wanted to go on camera, many viewers logged onto the KEPR Facebook page to speak out. One viewer wrote, "The state says they are focusing on this area. We, as residents of Burbank can see that's not the case."
Trooper Bryan Ball said he's been patrolling the Burbank area for close to a quarter century. "There doesn't seem to be a lot of (accidents), it's just they seem to be serious when we do have them," he said.
This crash is the first fatality since the Mendez brothers died, but Burbank residents believe one death is still too many.
Drugs and alcohol were not a factor in Thursday's wreck. Accident numbers at Humorist and Highway 12 specifically were not immediately available Thursday.
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