By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
A 22-year-old Onalaska resident was killed overnight in a single vehicle wreck on state Route 508 near Gish Road.
Troopers called about 1:50 a.m. report Kyle A. Wentzel was traveling eastbound when his pickup truck crossed the centerline and struck the opposite ditch. Wentzel died at the scene.
It happened at a place locals call the “S” curves, where the highway zig zags around the Newaukum River, Lewis County Fire District 1 Chief Mark Conner said. The speed limit there is 55 mph.
His 1999 Dodge pickup was totaled, according to the Washington State Patrol
Conner said he’s seen accidents with much more damage to the vehicle than this one, but Wentzel wasn’t buckled up.
“I think the fact that even though the airbag went off, (it was from) not wearing a seatbelt; the impact,” he said.