Benton City husband jailed after wife dies in Tri-Cities crash on their way home from a bar

A Benton City man is in jail after his wife was killed in a West Richland wreck last week.

Bryan David Burt, 41, was booked into the Benton County Jail on suspicion of vehicular homicide on Friday. His bail is currently set at $500,000.

Investigators say Burt was driving home with his wife, Lauren Burt, 35, from a bar in Kennewick on Oct. 27 when he crashed in West Richland on Keene Road, near West Van Giesen Street.

Witnesses told West Richland Police the car was driving erratically before the wreck, according to court documents.

Lauren Burt was thrown from the vehicle and seriously injured. When officers arrived, they found Bryan Burt leaning against the car with a gash on his forehead.

As officers approached Burt, they saw his wife on the ground about 15 feet away. She was still breathing, but unresponsive and in serious condition.

She was taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, and died at the hospital. Burt also was taken to the hospital.

Investigators say Burt told officers he had “three to five beers” before driving. A warrant was issued for blood samples to be taken from him.

After being treated, Burt was arrested and booked into the jail in Kennewick.

In a court hearing Monday afternoon, prosecutors asked Benton County Superior Court Commissioner Megan Whitmire to set Burt’s bond at $500,000 due to the nature of the incident and previous arrests for driving while intoxicated.

Court records show Burt has been arrested multiple times for DUI and driving with a suspended license, but most of the charges were later dismissed.

In one 2003 case the DUI charge was dropped, but he was found guilty of negligent driving. In another he was found guilty of driving a vehicle without a court ordered ignition interlock, but it is unclear which arrest that stemmed from.

He also had DUI and hit and run charges from 2011 dismissed.