A 44-year-old man from Kalama died in a fatal hit-and-run collision in Woodland on Thursday morning after the vehicle he was in was struck by another driver, lost control and ended up in Horseshoe Lake.
A Washington State Patrol memo stated Leonel D. Lopez Tello was southbound in the middle lane of Interstate 5 near milepost 21 when another vehicle moved into his lane and struck his vehicle.
Lopez Tello reportedly lost control of his vehicle, crossed the right lane and the right shoulder of the road before his 2006 Toyota Corolla went approximately 30 feet down an embankment and through a chainlink fence. The vehicle continued across Lake Shore Drive, then struck the farside guard rail and became airborne, stated WSP.
Lopez Tello’s vehicle landed on the bank and appeared to roll into Horseshoe Lake. The car came to rest on its roof and was mostly submerged.
WSP stated Lopez Tello was wearing a seatbelt at the time of the accident.
No description of the second vehicle was included in WSP’s memo. The cause of the accident is currently under investigation. It’s unknown if drugs or alcohol were involved, stated WSP.
The accident took place at around 6:20 a.m. on Dec. 2.
