Othello man remains at Harborview after collision on Christmas

An Othello man was in Harborview Medical Center on Monday after suffering a broken leg and internal injuries in a head-on collision Christmas Day, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Joaquin Garcia, 37, was heading east on Interstate 90 in a Toyota Camry. His vehicle crossed the centerline and collided with a Freightliner semi traveling West, the police report said.

Reached Monday morning, Garcia told the Herald he is still recovering and is unaware of how long he will remain at Harborview.

The crash occurred at 7:16 p.m. near the Thorpe Road exit, said Trooper John Bryant.

While the cause of the crash is still uncertain, Garcia was cited for driving with two wheels off the road, Bryant said.

Road conditions also were a factor, he added. The interstate had compacted snow and ice, and most collisions in the past week have been tied to driving too fast.

“That area over (exit) 101 is gigantic, so to go through the whole median and get in the other lanes and hit a semi, that’s a long ways to go. So he had to have been moving pretty good,” Bryant said. “The laws of physics tell you that.”

The driver of the semi, Ryne Haller, had no injuries.

Both drivers were wearing seat belts, Bryant said.