Police Pursuit Precedes Fatal Crash On US-97 Near Orondo
One person is dead and four others have injuries following a single-vehicle accident in Douglas County early Saturday.
The Washington State Patrol (WSP) says it happened at around 4:30 a.m. on U.S. Highway 97 about five miles north of Orondo when 18-year-old Enrique Garcia of Wenatchee failed to negotiate a curve in a pickup truck, which lost control, rolled at least once, and caught fire after coming to rest in a ditch.
DRIVER DEAD AND FOUR PASSENGERS INJURED AFTER ROLLOVER & FIRE
Garcia was pronounced deceased at the scene while all four of his passengers; 20-year-old Cesar E. Fineda of Wenatchee; 19-year-old Joselyne Z. Rivera-Higuera of Wenatchee; 18-year-old Daniel Najera-Rodriguez of Wenatchee; and a 17-year-old female from Orondo whose name is being withheld, were all injured in the accident and transported to Confluence Health Hospital in Wenatchee for treatment.
Troopers say prior to the crash and subsequent fire, Garcia had been involved in a pursuit with deputies from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office who had reportedly terminated the chase when Garcia turned off his headlights in an attempt to avoid detection.
POLICE LIKELY SAVE LIVES AT ACCIDENT SCENE AFTER TAILING SUSPECT VEHICLE
Although the pursuit was not active at the time of the wreck, deputies were reportedly still tailing Garcia from a safe distance and were the first to arrive on scene to provide medical aid after rounding the corner Garcia failed to negotiate and discovering the pickup truck fully engulfed in flames.
A State Patrol report did not indicate if Garcia died from the fire had suffered fatal injuries during the crash.
At this time, it's currently unknown if intoxicants played a role in the collision, which remains under investigation and closed the highway for several hours.
WSP spokesperson, Trooper Jeremy Weber, says the sheriff's office is planning to release more details about the pursuit which preceded the fatal accident on Monday.
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Gallery Credit: Kyle Matthews
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