Othello man dies in collision

The Washington State Patrol responded to a fatal collision around 1:30 p.m. Friday involving three vehicles on state Route 17, near Sutton Road, just north of Othello.

One driver, 21-year-old Rafaelito Agustin, of Othello, died at the scene.

Agustin, driving a 1997 Honda Accord, was heading north on state Route 17 and stopped at the intersection of Sutton Road, when a Kenworth construction truck, driven by 29-year-old Hector Brambila Quintero, of Zillah, swerved to the right, but rear-ended him.

Continuing to swerve right, Brambila Quintero struck a barbed wire fence and came to a stop about 60 feet off the roadway in a field.

Agustin’s vehicle turned into the southbound lane and was struck by a Freightliner tractor truck, driven by 58-year-old Kenneth Johnson, of Candon, Wisconsin, which was unable to stop. Both vehicles ended up on the southbound shoulder.

While all three vehicles took some damage, the Accord was totaled, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Brambila Quintero and Johnson were not injured, and Brambila Quintero was cited for speeding.

While Brambila Quintero and Johnson wore seat belts, Agustin did not.