Moses Lake man dies after car rolls into canal

MOSES LAKE — A 33-year-old Moses Lake man died early Sunday morning after his car slid and rolled over into an irrigation canal about five miles south of Ephrata, according to Grant County Sheriff’s Office.

Michael Mendoza was driving northbound on the W20 canal road at the east end of Road 8 Northwest, east of Dodson Road Northwest, the sheriff’s office wrote. Law enforcement reported that it appeared Mendoza had tried to turn around.

Mendoza’s vehicle rolled over the embankment, landing upside down in the canal, which was full of water, law enforcement wrote. Mendoza did not escape his vehicle and was declared dead at the scene.

Mendoza was not wearing a seat belt when his vehicle was pulled from the canal, which may indicate he unlocked the seat belt himself after the collision, law enforcement wrote. It’s uncertain whether drugs or alcohol contributed to the accident, they added.

The Grant County Sheriff’s Motor Traffic Unit is investigating.