Mother and daughter die at deadly Country Mercantile intersection north of Pasco
A Kennewick mother and daughter died in a Sunday afternoon crash on Highway 395 in front of the Country Mercantile store north of Pasco.
Angela Hart, 50, was driving a 2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia when she pulled out onto the highway into the path of a Dodge Ram pickup, said the Washington State Patrol in a traffic memo.
She was heading west on Crestloch Road at the Country Mercantile intersection with the highway. The pickup, driven by Madeline M. Johnson, 31, of Eltopia, was headed north, said the WSP.
Investigators said Hart failed to yield to the highway traffic.
She and her passenger Aspen Hart, 18, died at the scene. Both women were wearing their seat belts.
Johnson, 31, and her passenger Andre Kaupp, 35, of Eltopia, were taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland for their injuries, the WSP said. Their conditions were not immediately available Monday.
The intersection about five miles north of Pasco is particularly busy with traffic this time of year because of the mercantile’s fall events, including a corn maze, pumpkin patch and carnival.
Aspen Hart was a dance instructor at Dance Images West, according to the studio’s website.
A vigil to honor the women also was planned for 7 p.m. Monday night at Firehouse Elite at 2478 Henderson Loop in Richland.
Deadly Highway 395 intersection
This is the second fatal crash at the intersection this year.
Jeffry L. Bowes, 73, and his wife, Debora Bowes, 66, died at the crossing in late June when he made a left turn onto Crestloch Road from the highway.
The Washington State Department of Transportation made some improvements at the intersection in 2021. The state improved turn lanes, acceleration lanes and provided more space in the median.
The department has no immediate plans to make more changes at the intersection, according to a department traffic engineer.
Several people commenting on the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office post felt like the intersection hadn’t improved.
The number of serious injury and fatal crashes in Franklin County continues at the same high trajectory since 2020. Since the beginning of 2023, there have been 35 crashes with some sort of serious injury.
The annual average has risen from 21 accidents with injuries each year between 2014 and 2019 to 36 a year between 2020 to 2022.
