Man who hit WSP trooper head-on in Kennewick has died. He was a celebrated winemaker
KENNEWICK – A 45-year-old wine industry veteran died a month after a head-on collision with a Washington State Patrol trooper in Kennewick.
Investigators believe Jeremy S. Santo, of Pasco, was intoxicated when he got behind the wheel of a 2022 Hyundai Tucson about 2 a.m. on Feb. 11, Kennewick Commander Isaac Merkl told the Tri-City Herald.
He was going north in the southbound lanes of Highway 395 when Trooper Anselmo Sanchez spotted him near Kennewick Avenue.
“In this instance, the trooper saw the vehicle on his own and had to make an immediate decision on his response,” Lt. Dustin Drout said in an email to the Tri-City Herald at the time. “Our trooper believed there was at least one if not more vehicles behind him, and attempted to give the wrong way driver a very visible signal to stop with all of his emergency lights activated. The vehicle did not stop and instead collided with the trooper’s vehicle, which was effectively stationary at the time.”
Santo was seriously hurt and brought to Trios Southridge Hospital, where he underwent surgery after the wreck. Benton County Coroner Bill Leach said the hospital reported that he developed pneumonia and struggled to recover for three weeks before he died.
Family told Leach that Santo never left the hospital, and that the crash was connected with his death.
Leach has not confirmed that, but has started to investigate the details after the hospital reported that the death was because of natural causes.
Kennewick police were asked to investigate the DUI because of the trooper’s involvement in the crash. While Santo’s blood was taken for testing, the results aren’t back, Commander Isaac Merkl told the Herald.
‘Universally loved’
Santo worked at several of the state’s top wineries, including Chateau Ste. Michelle, Ryan Patrick, Mercer Estates and J. Bookwalter, Northwest Wine Report said. Joshua Maloney, a consultant who worked with Santo for 10 years, told the Northwest Wine Report that Santo was “universally loved” and everyone who worked with him became a fan.
He grew up in Prosser, Washington, graduated from Prosser High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Washington State University.
He had a daughter and son, along with two brothers, his parents and other family members.
He started in the wine industry in 2003 as a laboratory technician at Ste. Michelle Wine Estates in Prosser. He worked his way up to being an assistant winemaker. He went to Wahluke Wine Company in Mattawa, Washington, and was a winemaker to Ryan Patrick wines.
He became a winemaker at Mercer Wine Estates in Prosser between 2017 and 2021. He then became a winemaker at J. Bookwalter. Most recently, he worked as a sales representative at a company that provides winemaking, beer and other beverage products.