Crash takes life of Othello man

CLE ELUM — A truck crash near here last week that resulted in a 12-hour complete closure of Interstate 90 was a tragedy for the Othello community.

Rory D. Hillman, 32, of Othello died in the 8 a.m, August 10, crash. Kittitas County Coroner Nick Henderson reported that Hillman died of injuries sustained in the crash, and not because of the resulting fire. His body was transported to Stevens Funeral Home in Othello.

According to Washington State Patrol Public Information Officer Trooper John Bryant, the crash occurred during a passing maneuver. Hillman’s truck was in the left lane of the westbound lanes.

The WSP trooper on the scene said Hillman lost control of his truck and that it left the roadway to the left. Hillman overcorrected, the trooper said, and the truck rolled onto its top in the median and caught fire.

The truck lost the ammonia tanks it was carrying. The second truck, in the right lane, hit the biggest of these – 1,000 gallons – and it ruptured.

That forced the Washington State Patrol to close I-90 for investigations by the WSP, the Department of Ecology and the Environmental Protection Agency. It didn’t open again until about 8 p.m., after environmental specialists were able to seal the ruptured tank.

“We rerouted the traffic onto some back roads,” Bryant said. “They got through, but it was real slow going.”

Those back roads included the old U.S. Highway 10 that half a century ago was the main route between Seattle and points east. That two-lane road had to absorb today’s I-90 freeway traffic.

Hillman was driving a white 1995 Freightliner owned by H.G. Liberty Transports. It was impounded by Elite Towing.

The driver of the second truck was Douglas G. Lowe, 52, of Stevensville, Mont. He was driving a red 2003 Freightliner. It sustained reportable damage but was driven from the scene. Lowe was uninjured.