Sheriff’s deputy runs over Othello man

A rookie Adams County sheriff’s deputy ran over an Othello man Saturday night while on patrol.

Investigators are unsure whether 33-year-old Leonel Maldonado Gonzalez died when Deputy Kurt Berry’s cruiser rolled over him at 10:17 p.m. as he lay on South Taylor Road in Othello or if the man already was dead.

“We don’t know if the autopsy will show that or not,” said Adams County Sheriff Douglas Barger.

Berry was driving behind a vehicle on Taylor Road near the intersection of West Spur Lane, north of state Route 26 in Othello, when that car swerved to the left and into the oncoming lane, Barger said. Berry stayed in the lane and struck an object, later determined to be Gonzalez’s body. Gonzalez was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the sheriff’s office.

Washington State Patrol investigators believe Gonzalez jumped or fell from a moving vehicle and landed in the road, but they’re unsure how long he’d been there when Berry struck him, Barger said. Alcohol is believed to be a factor.

Berry had just cleared a traffic signal on the 35 mph road when the incident occurred, Barger said.

Berry, 24, has been with the sheriff’s office nine months. He remains on the job and is doing fine, Barger said.

“Obviously it’s not something anybody wants to go through, and he feels bad from that aspect, but there wasn’t a whole lot he could do under the circumstances,” Barger said.

The WSP investigation continues.