By KOMO News
BONNEY LAKE — A Forks man was killed in a head-on crash that shut down part of state Highway 410 a mile east of Bonney Lake last Wednesday night, the State Patrol reported.
State troopers responded to the scene at about 8:10 p.m. after receiving reports of a serious wreck, according to KOMO-News.
Two wrecked vehicles, a Ford F250 pickup and Ford Escape, were found at the crash site.
The State Patrol said the driver of the pickup, later identified as Benjamin D. Punley, 39, of Forks, was taken to the hospital but did not survive his injuries.
The driver of the Ford Escape, a 33-year-old Black Diamond man, was taken to St. Joseph Hospital with serious injuries. A woman who was a passenger in the Escape also had minor injuries.
A preliminary investigation found that the pickup was heading east on Highway 410 when it veered across the centerline and slammed head-on into the Escape, which was approaching from the opposite direction.
Both directions of the highway were shut down in that area for more than four hours while troopers investigated and cleared the scene. The road was reopened just before 12:30 a.m. Thursday.
Troopers said it is unknown whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash.