06/06/2026
An update regarding the es**rt tomorrow for the victims
From: ECY RE Spills JIC
Sent: Friday, June 5, 2026 6:23 PM
Subject: Media Advisory: Law enforcement es**rt will bring victims home to their families Saturday
Media advisory: Law enforcement es**rt will bring victims home to their families Saturday
The Cowlitz County Coroner's Office will lead a solemn freeway procession on Saturday, June 6, to bring 9 victims of the Nippon Dynawave industrial incident home to their families.
Procession details
The procession will begin when Washington State Patrol joins as the coroner crosses into Lewis County at Exit 88 in Rochester at approx. 4:00 p.m. Please note that traffic will determine the 4 p.m. time estimate; we cannot guarantee the traffic time. Please plan accordingly.
From there, the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office will join at the Cowlitz County line near Exit 57 along with two additional Coroner's Office vehicles. The route will continue to the Kelso area through Exit 39 (Three Rivers Mall exit) and proceed to the Cowlitz County Coroner's Office. Please see the attached map for a visual.
Two victims will not be part of this procession. One of the victims, Dillon Miller, is outside of the coroner’s jurisdiction while the other remaining victim, Gilbert Bernal, was already transported to the Yakima area.
Where can you view the procession?
The procession will cross multiple overpasses on I-5 near and after the Cowlitz County line. These locations will be appropriate spots for the media and public to pay their respects as the procession passes. These include the:
Old Pacific Highway overpass between the town of Castle Rock and Vader
Huntington Avenue N. overpass in the town of Castle Rock
Lexington Bridge in Longview
The coroner will drive a marked, silver Chevy pickup with a Cowlitz County Coroner’s Office decal and pull a white, enclosed trailer to transport the deceased.
Please follow traffic safety rules and make sure you don’t block traffic.
Media and the public not allowed at Coroner’s Office
To respect the privacy of families and victims, media and the public are not allowed to be at the Coroner’s Office as the trailer arrives nor are they allowed to follow the trailer after it crosses the Allen Street Bridge in Longview. Law enforcement will be present to enforce this. If media and the public want to view the procession, please choose an appropriate spot.
If you have questions, please email the JIC. We’re continually monitoring the inbox.
Brittny Goodsell
“Tell the time, don’t explain how you built the clock.”
Southwest Region Office (SWRO) Communications Manager
360-280-3704
