Royal City man dies in accident

ROYAL CITY — A two-vehicle accident left a Royal City man dead Saturday morning about three miles east of town, according to the Grant County Sheriff's Office.

The collision remains under investigation, but authorities believe Jose M. Manzo, 33, Royal City, was traveling westbound on Road 12 SW in his 1987 Acura Integra when he apparently failed to stop at the posted stop sign at Dodson Road South. At the same time, Jose L. Barraza Vazquez, 51, of Royal City, was headed northbound on Dodson Road South.

As Manzo crossed the intersection and missed the stop sign, Vazquez's 1994 Ford R10 pickup truck struck Manzo's vehicle in the driver's side door, the sheriff's office stated.

Vazquez and his passenger, Romulo Guadalupe Salazar, 50, also of Royal City, were transported with Manzo to Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake.

At the hospital, Manzo was later pronounced dead. Vazquez and Salazar were treated for their injuries and released.

Investigators determined speed was not a factor. They found the accident occurred because Manzo failed to stop at the posted sign.

A deputy investigating the crash scene did not find either vehicle made skid marks prior to the collision, the sheriff's office stated.

Manzo wore his seat belt restraint, but it was severed in the collision. It is unknown if Vazquez or Salazar wore their seat belts.

The Royal City Police Department and Washington State Patrol assisted in the investigation.