An 18-year-old woman and a 20-year-old woman were killed over the weekend on U.S. Highway 195 and state Highway 26 after two separate head-on collisions.
The first crash occurred around 5 p.m. Friday at milepost 66 on U.S. Highway 195, north of Rosalia. According to the Washington State Patrol, Christine Hunter, 18, of Spokane, was driving a 2001 Volkswagon Beetle northbound when it appears she crossed the centerline, striking a 2003 Ford F150 in the southbound lane. Both vehicles came to rest on the southbound shoulder.
Hunter was declared dead at the scene. Her passenger, Sidney Ritter, 18, of Spokane, was transported by Medstar the Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. The driver of the second vehicle, Joseph Jacobs, 26, of Uniontown, and passenger Nathaniel Jacobs, 23, of Uniontown, were uninjured. A third passenger in Jacobs’ vehicle, Taylor Spence, 23, of Colton, was transported by Medstar to Sacred Heart Medical Center.
The second crash occurred around 1:45 p.m. Sunday approximately 16 miles west of Colfax, near Dusty, on state Highway 26.
According to the Washington State Patrol, Jason Wigen, 18, of LaCrosse, was driving a 1990 Toyota pickup eastbound on highway 26 when he reportedly crossed the centerline colliding with a 2001 Toyota Camry in the westbound lane.
The driver of the Toyota, Morgan Cope, 20, of Buckley was declared dead at the scene. Wigen was transported by Medstar to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane.
Possible criminal charges against Wigen are still pending with the WSP.
Both of the victims are listed on the Washington State University website as students. This weekend marked the start of the WSU Thanksgiving break.
