On Sunday, February 9, a tragic accident occurred in Douglas County, Washington. A car collided head-on with a charter bus, resulting in the loss of lives. Among the victims were two 17-year-olds, a girl, and a boy, as well as the charter bus driver and one of the bus’s passengers. Additionally, seven individuals sustained injuries as a result of this devastating collision.
A news release obtained by PEOPLE reveals that the incident occurred at approximately 1:30 p.m. on State Route 28. The driver of the car involved is a 17-year-old female, who has not been identified. According to KIRO, the teenager was driving a 2007 Toyota Camry and attempted to overtake another vehicle. Unfortunately, the maneuver was unsuccessful, resulting in a head-on collision with a charter bus carrying 20 passengers.
“After the initial collision, a third vehicle was struck, driven by a 29-year-old female of Cashmere, Wash.,” the news release issued by the Washington State Patrol reads. “A total of 4 individuals lost their lives and many were injured. State Route 28 was closed for approximately 10 hours while District 6 WSP investigated the collision.”
After the first crash, the charter bus ended up in a ditch. The collision claimed the lives of the 17-year-old driver, the male 17-year-old passenger, and the charter bus driver. Eight other individuals were quickly transported to a nearby hospital, as reported by KING. Regrettably, one of the injured individuals did not survive their injuries. Currently, there is no update on the condition of the remaining injured individuals.
Crash Details
Passengers on the charter bus reportedly had ages ranging from 18 to 84, as stated by KIRO. It is worth mentioning that the third car involved in the accident had two children on board – a six-year-old and an eight-year-old who were seated in the backseat. Thankfully, both children escaped any injuries.
The charter bus operator, Northwestern Stage Lines, released a statement, which they shared with KIRO.
“As we have been cooperating fully with authorities during the investigation of the incident, we have learned that an unknown vehicle attempted an unsafe pass while traveling at an excessive speed,” the statement reads. “Sadly, our talented and dedicated driver was among the fatalities, as well as the 2 individuals in the car.”
The Washington State Patrol is currently investigating the crash with the assistance of the District 6 Criminal Investigation Unit and the WSP Major Accident Investigation Team.
