Ronald man killed as truck rolls down embankment

CLE ELUM -- A 57-year-old Ronald man died Sunday afternoon when his truck ran off the road and went over a 15-foot embankment on State Route 903, the Washington State Patrol reported.

Lester Aves died at the scene, slightly more than five miles northwest of Cle Elum, according to a news release.

Troopers said Aves was headed north about 1:20 p.m. when his Dodge Ram pickup left the road to the right. He overcorrected, crossed the highway to the left and struck the guardrail.

The truck went over the guardrail and down the bank, where Aves was thrown from the vehicle.

Troopers said they did not know whether he had been wearing a seat belt; he was not suspected of being intoxicated.

Investigators blamed the crash on speed and driving with wheels off the roadway.