North Bend man dies in Highway 18 wreck

Published 10:18 am Thursday, October 2, 2008

A month after coming to North Bend to open a restaurant, Jose Orozco died July 2 in a head-on collision on Highway 18. His wife and five children had moved to join him a day before the crash.

Orozco, 31, formerly of Bonney Lake, was driving toward Interstate 90 in a 1990 Honda Accord around 9:11 p.m.

According to the Washington State Patrol, he crossed the centerline just east of the Issaquah-Hobart Road and struck the trailer of a semi traveling in the opposite direction. Though he was wearing a seatbelt, Orozco was pronounced dead at the scene. His vehicle was totaled.

The semi driver, Aaron Daughtry, 31, of Cumby, Texas, was not injured. The trailer was totaled, but the cab was not damaged and was driven from the scene. The collision is under investigation.

Family friends set up a fund at Sterling Savings Bank, 146 W. Second St., North Bend, to help Orozco’s widow, Carmina Delgado Gomez. Contri-butions may be sent to the bank at P.O. Box 1433, North Bend, WA 98045.

For information, call Ann Godejohn at the bank at (425) 888-1616.