Semi truck destroys house

A semi truck went off Highway 26 last Wednesday morning, July 18, just west of Colfax at the Kevin Doty ranch, side-swiped a mobile home and plowed into the Craig McCully house which was destroyed. The semi also hit a pickup truck parked outside at the McCully place.

The mobile home sustained extensive damage and was knocked off its foundation.

Both the mobile home and the house are owned by Doty.

McCully was actually out of his house mowing the lawn and watched as the semi came straight off the highway at the curve and hit the two houses.

The 41-year-old driver of the semi and his wife were transported by ambulance to Whitman Hospital and Medical Center.

The eastbound semi left the highway just north of the entry road which leads to the mobile home and the McCully house. The site is uphill from the main entry into the Doty place which is marked by the distinctive simulated combine wreck along the highway.

McCully said he had been in his house earlier in the morning but decided to go outside to mow while it was cool. He was actually riding the mower near the entry road and saw the semi truck leave the highway and opted to get out of the way.

The truck missed the entry road, hit trees and the back of the mobile home on a narrow, straight line path into McCully's residence.

McCully had just purchased the low mileage 2016 Chevrolet pickup which was knocked on its side. A 2018 Toyota pickup also parked near the residence sustained minor damage when it was hit by debris.

According to the Washington State patrol report by Officer Brandon Kendall, the 2016 International tractor-trailer was driven eastbound at 8:07 a.m. by Deporas R. Millare, Gardena, Calif., when it went off the highway and hit the two residences. Latasha N. Peoples was in the sleeper unit of the truck.

Millare is believed to have fallen asleep at the wheel of the truck which reportedly was hauling a load of toilet paper. He has been charged with second degree negligent driving in Whitman County District Court.

The truck came to a halt actually wedged in the McCully residence after side-swiping the back of the mobile home.

The semi just missed a support pole for an Inland Power primary line which crosses the Doty property en-route to the Almota Road area. The primary line serves 309 Inland customers south of Colfax.

A Colfax ambulance crew responded to the accident scene and transported the driver and passenger to the hospital. Both complained of back and neck pain.