KIRO 7 Exclusive: Toxic fumes killed former UW student’s father, family suing Tri-Cities company
Feb 11, 2025, 6:36 AM
Students at the University of Washington (UW) head to classes. One librarian took a questionable position on censorship. (Photo: Karen Ducey, Getty Images)
(Photo: Karen Ducey, Getty Images)
A former University of Washington (UW) student remembers the moment he discovered his dad had died from toxic fumes on the job.
Now, he said his family is suing the company for wrongful death.
The 56-year-old father of 12 was cleaning a tanker truck when he succumbed to the hydrogen sulfide gas last June.
The state has fined Two Rivers, the Tri-Cities company for whom he was working, nearly $500,000 for his death — but the company is still operating.
His son spoke exclusively to KIRO 7 to spare others his family’s pain. Dmitriy Voloshin said his family is suffering almost unbearable pain since his father’s death. Now, the former UW student and his family are suing, so no one else suffers, too.
“My dad was such a good person,” Dmitriy said. “No matter what we say, it hurts.”
That hurt for this former UW student began on a Friday night last June when his father died from exposure to toxic fumes inside the truck he was cleaning. Dmitriy was asked how he was doing.
“Oof,” he said. “That’s a tough question. That’s not an easy question. I’m trying my best.”
A video captures the last moments of his father’s life. Voloshin, an independent trucker, his family said was told to clean out a tanker he had just returned to Two Rivers Fertilizer company in Pasco. What he did not know was that the tanker was filled with toxic gas hydrogen sulfide.
“He had no personal protection,” Sim Osborn, the family’s attorney, said. “He had no one there who had to assist him.”
“He was actually given a ladder by one of Two Rivers employees,” David Wieck, another family attorney, said. “And the employee that gave him the ladder wasn’t even aware that the chemical he was asked to clean out was toxic.”
“And they literally left him, he died inside a tanker truck alone, after laying there for three hours,” Osborn said. “The firemen wouldn’t go in because it was so toxic.”
Labor and Industries fined the company nearly $400,000 in Voloshin’s death.
Indeed, the state has fined Two Rivers nearly a million dollars since 2023 because of workplace injuries. But Two Rivers has appealed the fines and continues to operate.
“I want to bring awareness, they should be aware of any hazards at their job site,” Dmitriy said. “They should know they have rights. That they should come home that Friday night to their family.”
KIRO 7 checked with L&I about why Two Rivers is still operating. They said they can’t shut down a company unless workers are in imminent danger. So, they impose hefty fines, as they have in this case.
KIRO 7 also checked with Two Rivers, but has not heard back.
