On Sunday, February 9, a car collided head on with a charter bus in Douglas County, Washington. This resulted in the deaths of two 17-year-olds (a girl and a boy), the charter bus driver, and one of the bus’s passengers. Seven others were injured as a result of the crash.
According to a news release obtained by PEOPLE, the incident occurred at approximately 1:30 p.m. local time on State Route 28. The 17-year-old female driver of the car has not been identified.
According to KIRO, the teen drove a 2007 Toyota Camry and attempted to pass another car. The maneuver failed, and the teen driver collided with the charter bus head on. The bus was transporting 20 passengers at the time.
“After the initial collision, a third vehicle was struck, driven by a 29-year-old female of Cashmere, Wash.,” according to a Washington State Patrol news release. “A total of four people died, and many were injured. State Route 28 was closed for about 10 hours while the District 6 WSP investigated the collision.”
After the initial collision, the charter bus landed 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 more people were rushed to a nearby hospital, according to KING. Unfortunately, one of the injured died from their injuries. There is no information on the injured’s condition.
Crash Details
According to KIRO, the charter bus’s passengers ranged in age from 18 to 84. Most notably, the third car involved in the initial collision was carrying two children. A six-year-old and an eight-year-old were in the back seat. Fortunately, neither of them were injured.
Northwestern Stage Lines, which operated the charter bus, issued a statement that was 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,” according to a statement. “Sadly, our talented and dedicated driver was among the fatalities, as well as the 2 individuals in the car.”
The District 6 Criminal Investigation Unit and the WSP Major Accident Investigation Team are currently investigating the crash, according to the Washington State Patrol.
