Moses Lake man critically injured after being thrown 45 feet in a vehicle crash

A man was in critical condition after a vehicle crash early Sunday morning near Moses Lake.

Margarito R. Villalbo, 27, of Moses Lake, was driving a 2011 Chevrolet pickup north on Northeast Road K near Northeast Road 6 at about 3 a.m. when he apparently fell asleep, according to a Grant County Sheriff’s Office news release. The vehicle left the roadway to the east, struck a driveway culvert and went airborne before hitting a tree.

Villalbo was ejected from the pickup and found about 45 feet away in a ditch along the road, according to the release. He was transported to Samaritan Healthcare in Moses Lake and later flown to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane, where he remained in critical condition.

Alcohol contributed to the crash, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Deputies were recommending a misdemeanor charge of DUI. The Grant County Sheriff’s Office Motor Traffic Unit was investigating.