Christopher J Quandt Obituary, Death; – A 71-year-old man from Pasco has been identified as the driver who tragically lost his life on Sunday morning after colliding with a bridge abutment in Richland.
Christopher J. Quandt was reportedly speeding and driving erratically westward on Columbia Park Trail around 9:20 a.m. when he struck the Highway 240 overpass bridge, causing his vehicle to spin and flip multiple times, according to the Benton County coroner and Richland police. Chief Deputy Coroner Dennis Morris noted that Quandt was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident and became trapped inside the vehicle.
An ambulance from American Medical Response, which was nearby, responded to assist Quandt; however, Richland police confirmed that he succumbed to his injuries at the scene, located near the Ben Franklin Transit headquarters at the Richland “Y.” The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and an autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday, as stated by Coroner Bill Leach.
The west end entrance to Columbia Park Trail was closed for several hours on Sunday while authorities conducted their investigation. Richland police are urging anyone who may have witnessed Quandt’s driving or the accident to contact the non-emergency dispatch number at 509-628-0333. Further details regarding the incident, including the make and model of the vehicle he was driving, have yet to be disclosed.
It is worth noting that Quandt had a prior conviction in 2011 for fleeing from Pasco police in a stolen vehicle and colliding with a patrol car, for which he received a nearly three-year prison sentence. He denied having struck the officer but acknowledged driving a vehicle he was aware was stolen.
