Crash near Washtucna claims 1, closes road
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 months, 4 weeks AGO
One person died in a collision on state Route 26 west of Washtucna late Thursday morning.
COURTESY PHOTO/WASHINGTON STATE PATROL
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | November 20, 2025 3:31 PM
WASHTUCNA — A collision on state Route 26 just west of Washtucna claimed a life Thursday morning, according to a statement from the Washington State Patrol.
Matthew L. Cunnington, 24, of Dayton was declared deceased at the scene, according to the WSP.
At a little after 11 a.m., Cunnington was driving a 2011 Ford F150 southbound on Marcellus Road about six miles west of Washtucna and failed to stop at the stop sign on SR 26, said WSP Public Information Officer Sgt. Greg Riddell. The pickup was struck by a semi-truck, driven by Manuel Aguilar Diaz, 39, of Yakima, travelling westbound on SR 26. Cunnington's vehicle came to rest on the westbound shoulder of the highway. The semi came to rest on the eastbound shoulder.
Aguilar Diaz was transported as a precaution but was not reported injured, Riddell said.
Both drivers were wearing their seat belts, Riddell said, and it was unknown whether drugs or alcohol was a factor.
SR 26 was down to one lane between SR 395 and SR 261 at 3 p.m., Riddell said. It reopened fully at 4 p.m., according to a WSP statement.
This story has been updated from its original version.
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