19-Year-Old Dies in Kennewick High-Speed Motorcycle Crash
The crash happened late Monday night, and now some information about the victim has been released.
The man was riding a motorcycle
Around 10 PM, Kennewick Police and EMTs were sent to the intersection of Columbia Drive and Fruitland Street about a violent single-vehicle accident.
Witnesses reported the motorcycle rider was eastbound at a high rate of speed, but failed to negotiate the curve just east of the intersection. Police investigators said he likely lost control, hit the curb. That impact ejected him from the bike, and he then hit a power pole alongside the road.
When Police and EMTs arrived, he was suffering significant injuries. Despite efforts to save him, he later died at the hospital.
The rider has been identified as 19-year-old Eleazar Villegas-Gonzalez of Pasco. Officers said speed was a factor in the crash, no other vehicles were involved.
Police said excessive speed was a factor in 34 percent of the 731 fatal collisions or crashes in WA in 2024.
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Gallery Credit: Andrew Lisa