MOSES LAKE – State Route 17 was closed for nearly four hours Thursday night after two accidents led to the death of one woman and non-fatal injuries for two Grant County Sheriff’s Office deputies.

According to a Washington State Patrol press release and GCSO staff, the related incidents began when Paulina Alvarez, 51, of Soap Lake left a vehicle and attempted to walk across the roadway near milepost 61, just north of Moses Lake. Brandon Bastian, 28, of Moses Lake was traveling south toward Moses Lake and struck Alvarez, who was pronounced deceased at the scene, according to the WSP release. 

“Speculation is going around, but we just don’t know,” Weber said.

Bastian was uninjured and will not face charges in the accident, according to the initial findings in the memo. He was uninjured and his 2006 Toyota Avalon was able to be driven after the accident near McConihe Road. 

During a follow-up call to Trooper Jeremy Weber, public information officer with WSP, Weber said it was unclear why Alvarez had left her vehicle or if she was in any way impaired at the time the accident occurred. 

Reserve Deputy Rob Harris and GCSO Corporal Jason McDonnell responded to the accident involving Bastian and Alvarez. When Harris, who was in the lead car, moved to position his patrol car to block the highway, McDonnell’s vehicle struck Harris’s patrol car. McDonnell’s GCSO SUV then left the highway, knocked down a light pole, traveled off-road for about 300 feet and came to a stop back on the highway. 

McDonnel was not transported to the hospital and GCSO Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman said he was sore from the accident, but generally uninjured.

Harris received non-life-threatening injuries in the incident. 

“Deputy Harris, who was in the vehicle that was attempting to block Highway 17, the lead vehicle, he was treated at Samaritan and released. He has non-life-threatening injuries — bumps and bruises, possibly a concussion,” Foreman said Friday morning. “Corporal McDonnell just has general pain from being through a collision and riding out what he did, so they’re both off today.”

Foreman said the Collision Review Board will be reviewing the events leading to the collision that likely totaled out both patrol vehicles to determine if any agency policies were violated. The actions of the officers involved will be compared with values and policies in place at GCSO and steps will be taken to ensure the situation is not repeated. 

The patrol vehicles cost about $50,000 with all of the needed equipment installed, he said.

R. Hans “Rob” Miller may be reached at editor@columbiabasinherald.com.

    Grant County Sheriff’s Office Corp. Jason McDonnell’s patrol SUV, above, is likely totaled after the vehicle struck another patrol car, went off-road for about 300 feet, then came to a stop back on State Route 17 at Northlake.