Student Deaths Revive Concerns About Roads to Pullman

SPOKANE (AP) — The recent deaths of two Washington State University students driving back to campus after winter break have revived concerns about the safety of roadways leading to the rural college town of Pullman.

Some students and parents are criticizing WSU officials for not delaying last Monday's start of classes because of hazardous driving conditions due to winter storms.

Students driving to Pullman, located 75 miles south of Spokane, have no choice but to drive on two-lane roads. The main routes to Pullman are Highway 195, south from Spokane, or Highway 26, which branches off Interstate 90 near Vantage and heads east.

The roadways, mostly two-lane with few passing opportunities, have seen numerous accidents involving WSU students over the years.

Last year, the number of crashes involving WSU students prompted then-interim president Daniel Bernardo to declare road safety a top university priority.