A tragic collision on State Route 28 in Washington has resulted in the loss of four lives, the Washington State Patrol (WSP) reports. On Sunday afternoon, a 2007 Toyota Camry veered across the centerline and into oncoming traffic, striking a coach bus head-on near milepost 11. The incident unfolded around 1:28 p.m., when the westbound vehicle, operated by a 17-year-old from East Wenatchee, failed to remain in its lane.

According to the statement released by Washington State Patrol, the young driver and a passenger, also 17, were pronounced dead at the scene. A 66-year-old bus driver from Spokane met the same fate, leaving a community to mourn and many to question how to prevent such tragedies in the future hastily. The violent encounter with the bus was followed by a collision with a third vehicle, driven by a 29-year-old Cashmere woman, further complicating the crash site and the subsequent investigation.

The aftermath saw eight bus passengers rushed to Confluence Health Hospital, one of whom later succumbed to their injuries. The highway was closed for a protracted 10-hour period while District 6 of the WSP conducted an on-site inquiry. The total counts of loss and trauma stemming from the event are still being measured as families grapple with the suddenness of their grief.

The District 6 Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU) and the WSP Major Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) lead the ongoing investigation, digging into the aspects surrounding the crash.