Franklin County Coroner officials have identified a Chiawana High student who likely died of exposure at a downtown Pasco construction site.
Manuel Rodriguez, 16, is believed to have died Friday but wasn’t found until Saturday, said Franklin County Coroner Curtis McGary. Officials believe alcohol may have been a factor in his death. An autopsy is set for Wednesday.
Pasco police said Rodriguez was found Saturday when a passerby saw what they believed was a body at the construction site of the new Lewis Street overpass, at Lewis Street and Main Street.
Pasco Police Department spokesman Sgt. Rigo Pruneda said the teen’s parents notified police Friday that he was missing and they were worried. He was a student at Chiawana High School.
“It’s kind of an out of the way place … where they’re building the new big overpass,” Pruneda said. “It appears he had been there for a while, and he wasn’t dressed for the weather.”
The $36 million Lewis Street overpass will carry the roadway above the BNSF Railway tracks between Second and Oregon Avenues. Construction began in Aug. 2021 and is expected to be completed in Fall 2023, according to the city of Pasco.
Pruneda said detectives are investigating the circumstances of Rodriguez’s death to determine if alcohol was a factor, but foul play is not suspected.
“It’s a tragic thing when you lose a child that age,” Pruneda said.
McGary said alcohol can contribute to exposure deaths.
“What would happen is the individual would pass out if it’s alcohol related, and staying in the cold they would suffer from hypothermia,” he said.
McGary said it’s important to always dress warm in cold temperatures and people should avoid alcohol if they plan on being outside in the cold for prolonged periods of time.
