Pasco Police report Sunday afternoon, October 6th, about 12:45, a semi was involved in a collision at the Lewis Street Underpass. Arriving officers found the wrecked semi on top of the east end of the pedestrian stairwell (north side). The male described as the semi’s driver was seen running into the rail yard, yanking on the doors of parked locomotives.

In that specific area, as you drive west on Lewis past Oregon Street, the roadway narrows from 2 lanes to one westbound and drops into the underpass to continue beneath the rail yard. The outside lane officially ends with a right turn onto Main, next to the Economart. West of Economart is Wayside Park, and a gravelly access road runs along the park border; it is a natural extension of the outside lane IF you ignore the warning lights and drive through the barrier pylons.

The semi-tractor went through the concrete railing, knocking big chunks of it down the pedestrian stairwell. The semi-tractor ended up on top of what was left. Thank God no one was underneath the falling rubble at the time.

The suspected driver ran off, trespassing in the rail yard and he was apparently trying to get inside a locomotive cabin. As he was being arrested his day got worse as the po-po found a dope pipe, which is a no-no when the white crystalline substance on said pipe tested positive for methamphetamine.

James Thomas Harty, 44, of Hillsboro OR, was booked into Franklin County Jail on an investigative hold for Possession of Meth. He was also cited for misdemeanors Hit and Run, Trespassing, Drug Paraphernalia, and DUI. Anyone with additional info about this case is urged to call Dispatch at (509) 628-0333 or email Officer Eric Fox at foxe@pasco-wa.gov.

For the record, the actual demolition of the Lewis Street Underpass is not scheduled to start until the replacement overpass is done. And it hasn’t started.

Pasco police polish off their post with their usual hashtag brilliance like:

#stopmakingitworse #anothercarlengthandthetractorisinthehole #goodthingnobodywasonthestairs!

Dave Allen
Dave Allen
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Standing between the stairwell and the rail yard fence, looking east toward Officer Jeremy Wakeman. Economart and Wayside Park are behind the semi.

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