Othello man injured in alleged vehicular assault
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 months, 2 weeks AGO
One man was flown to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane after what authorities say appears to be a vehicular assault Tuesday evening.
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Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | December 24, 2025 12:17 PM
OTHELLO — An Othello man was airlifted to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center after his car was hit while sitting on the shoulder about a mile west of Othello Tuesday night.
The car driven by Gael Navarrete, 20, was sitting on the westbound shoulder of State Route 26 at about 9:45 p.m. Tuesday when it was hit by a car driven by Yalil Pineda Santos, 32, of Mexico. Pineda Santos swerved to the shoulder and hit the back of Navarrete’s vehicle, according to a press release from the Washington State Patrol.
Navarette’s vehicle was knocked into the westbound lane and Pineda Santos’s vehicle came to rest on the eastbound shoulder, the WSP memo said. Navarette was airlifted for treatment, and Pineda Santos was transported to Othello Community Hospital.
Charges for vehicular assault are pending against Pineda Santos, the WSP memo said. Intoxicating substances were involved.
The Adams County Sheriff's Office listed Pineda Santos as still being in custody as of Wednesday afternoon.
State Route 26 was closed at the crash scene until about 8 a.m. Wednesday, according to information from the Washington Department of Transportation.
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