Violent Crash Kills Driver Northwest of Royal City in Grant County

The Grant County Sheriff's Office continues their investigation into a Monday night crash.

  The Vehicle Left a County Road and Crashed

Around 10:40 PM Monday night, Grant County Deputies with the Motor Traffic Unit responded to a location in the 11900 block of Frenchman Hills Road Southwest.

The location is about two miles Northwest of Royal City.

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Investigators found a 2015 Mustang  had been traveling east when the driver, identified as 22-year-old David Trinidad, apparently lost control, overcorrected causing the vehicle to leave the road and then slammed into a tree.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger, 22-year-old Melany Campos of Othello, was airlifted to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland. No update on her condition was available.

Investigators said high speed was a factor in the crash.  According to traffic safety experts, depending on road geography and conditions, if you're traveling at 65 MPH and need to hit the brakes quickly, your car travels at least another 95 feet before you can apply the brake.

The typical driver's brain takes between 0.75 and 1.5 seconds to process a 'threat' and begin to apply the brake.  However, at excessive speeds, the vehicle travels much further and faster, making a safe stop much less likely.