Two Die in Saturday Crash Near Yakima

Washington State Patrol Troopers are investigating a crash on State Route 24 east of Yakima Saturday in which two people were killed. The crash was reported at about 8:00 am Saturday 26-miles east of Yakima.

Troopers say the driver who caused the crash had only minor injuries

Troopers say 18-year-old Francisco De La Luz Pacheco of Yakima was driving a 2009 Kia Rio west on State Route 24 when he collided with another driver traveling eastbound. That vehicle, 1993 Subaru Legacy was driven by 59-year-old Lisa Richards of Union Gap who died at the scene of the crash. A passenger in De La Luz Pacheco’s vehicle, 21-year-old Andres De La Luz Pacheco also died at the crash scene. Washington State Patrol Troopers say Francisco De La Luz Pacheco had only minor injuries. He was taken to Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital where he was treated and released on Saturday.
Drugs or alcohol were reportedly not a factor in the crash which remains under investigation.

Heads up if you have a teen driver, Memorial weekend is around the corner

Now that Memorial weekend is coming up Triple AAA officials call the the days between Memorial day and Labor day the 100 deadliest days for teen drivers. Over the past five years, more than 1,600 people were killed in crashes involving inexperienced teen drivers during the time period.
Triple A officials say motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers. Per miles driven, teenagers have the highest fatality rate of all other age groups except drivers over the age of 80. A significant cause of teen driver collisions is the number of passengers under 21 in the vehicle. The risk of a collision increases 44 percent when a 16-17 year-old driver has a teen passenger in the vehicle, doubles with two teen passengers and quadruples with three or more teen passengers.