Ice and speed are factors in two fatal accidents on Chelan Valley highways

Cascade School District bus tips onto its side after being struck by a pickup truck on icy U.S. Highway 97A, Dec. 6. Photo courtesy: Source One News.

A passenger in a small pick-up died. The driver of the truck was seriously injured after losing control on black ice north of Knapps Tunnel Saturday morning, Dec. 6, striking a Cascade School District bus carrying high school wrestlers.

The school district reports that no students or coaches were injured, but the bus driver suffered a “non-critical” injury. The names of the victim and others involved had not been made public as of Monday morning.

The State Patrol says an icy road was a key factor in the crash. A troopers' report on the accident, issued Monday morning, notes that the truck was southbound, at milepost 227, when the driver crossed into the northbound lane, hitting the school bus head on. The truck rolled into a roadside ditch. The impact caused the bus to tip onto its side.

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An 18-year old Wenatchee man was killed when the pick-up he was driving attempted to elude law enforcement and in the effort to elude police, he failed to negotiate a curve on U.S. Highway 97, north or Orondo, Dec. 6. Washington State Patrol troopers say the truck rolled and caught fire.

Enrique Garcia died in the accident. The truck caught fire after rolling into a ditch. Four passengers, ages 17-to-20 escaped with injuries.

Trooper Jeremy Weber says the truck was going 80 miles an hour when a Douglas County deputy attempted to pull it over for speeding. The truck driver reportedly turned off the vehicle’s headlights, prompting the deputy to end his pursuit.

The deputy continued driving and found the truck on fire and assisted four passengers to safety. The driver had been overtaken by flames. 

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In the event of ice or snow on our roads, the city of Chelan, Chelan County public works and State Transportation crews are de-icing roads and ready to dispatch snowplows.

"There's a lot of applications we can use on the roads," said Interim Chelan City administrator Chad Coltman. "We have 40 (something) miles of roads to plow and maintain. Then, in addition to our public works crew working, our parks team is working to clear sidewalks and bridges, and the new Lakeside Trail."

Chelan County Sheriff’s deputies patrol local streets and highway in an effort to promote safe driving.

"We've definitely seen an uptick in the last month of collisions,": Sheriff's Sgt. Rob Huddleston said. "Not all of it is road conditions. Some of it is inattention (of drivers). Just be prepared, and definitely slow down. Speed is the biggest factor in winter driving."