UPDATE Dec. 6 at 1:31 p.m.
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Wash. – The Washington State Patrol (WSP) is investigating a crash in which a car being pursued by law enforcement rolled and caught fire, killing the driver and injuring four passengers.
According to WSP, the crash was reported around 4:30 a.m. at milepost 218, about 16 miles south of Chelan. WSP said that the car was traveling northbound on Highway 97 during an active pursuit when the driver failed to negotiate a curve. The car rolled, came to rest in the southbound ditch and became fully engulfed in flames.
The driver, identified as 18-year-old Enrique GarciaGarcia of Wenatchee, died at the scene, according to WSP. Four passengers — an 18-year-old man from Wenatchee, a 20-year-old man from Wenatchee, a 19-year-old woman from Wenatchee and a 17-year-old girl from Orondo — were injured and taken to Central Washington Hospital. Seat belt use was confirmed for most passengers, though it is unknown for the juvenile.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said that Highway 97 was closed between mile markers 219 and 218. Southbound traffic was stopped at the south entrance to Daroga Park. A detour was available via Highway 97A, US-2 Pine Canyon or McNeil Canyon Road.
The sheriff’s office estimated the closure would last about six hours in an update issued at 7:46 a.m. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Original coverage at Dec. 6 at 9:53 a.m.
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Wash. – A section of Highway 97 near Daroga Park is closed due to a fatal crash, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
The highway is closed between mile marker 219 and mile marker 218. Southbound traffic is closed at the south entrance to Daroga Park, the office said.
A detour is available at Highway 97A, US2 Pine Canyon or McNeil Canyon Road during the closure.
The office expects the closure to last around six hours. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office released their update at 7:46 a.m.
