Driver presumed dead after truck careens off road near Wenatchee, into Columbia River; no body found

WENATCHEE, Wash. — At least one person is presumed dead after their pickup went off the road and into the Columbia River near Wenatchee Sunday morning, but no bodies have been found.

The crash is believed to have happened shortly after 9 a.m.

The truck was on southbound State Route 97A, just south of the Rocky Reach Dam, when it drifted to the right shoulder and overcorrected across the highway, according to a report from the Washington State Patrol. The truck then went over railroad tracks, down an embankment and landed in the Columbia River.

WSP District 6 Trooper Jeremy Weber told KIRO 7 that it took most of the day to get the truck out of the water due to the terrain and the river conditions. Weber said it was difficult just to reach the river, and at this time of year, the water is deep and the current is running fast.

A crane had to be used for the operation and the highway was closed for several hours until the mangled truck was finally pulled from the water and placed on a flatbed truck.

But after the truck was finally retrieved and the road was reopened, no victims had been found.

Weber said the driver is presumed to be dead, but it’s not known how many people may have been inside the truck.

He said agencies outside the Washington State Patrol are searching for possible victims.

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