Two killed in separate crashes

Two killed in separate crashes

By GEORGE KUNKE

A 26-year-old Astoria, Ore. woman was killed last Wednesday morning when her car left the roadway on Highway 401 (milepost 5) and crashed into a tree head on eight miles south of Naselle. Found deceased at the scene was Jessica Marie Rath. A State Trooper arrived on the scene at 8:51 a.m. after two men saw the vehicle, a 2007 Dodge Caliber, in the wooded brush area and called for help around 8:30 a.m. It is believed that the accident happened sometime after midnight.

The woman’s two young children, Aryanna Huff, 4, and Lylah Huff, 2, were found together some 20 feet from the vehicle, and hugging each other to stay warm. They were believed to be alone for six to eight hours, according to the State Patrol. The two girls were first transported to Columbia Memorial Hospital in Longview before being moved elsewhere. The two-year-old girl suffered serious leg injuries and was flown to a hospital in Portland. The four-year-old was taken to a hospital in Astoria, Ore. and released.

The four-year-old girl dragged her injured sister from the car and the two stayed warm by huddling in a blanket.

The two men who stopped their vehicle to investigate the scene were Kraai McClure and Scott Beutler. They saw the mark in the tree and the mangled car from the highway and decided to turn around and take a look-see.

Montesano Woman Killed in Crash

A Montesano woman was killed on Highway 8 last Monday (Feb. 18) afternoon (1:41) when another car struck her car from behind and causing it to smash into a tree, according to the Washington State Patrol. Deceased at the scene was Karen L. Sawyer, 60.

Two people were transported to hospitals, including Jared C. Liening, 32, Grayland, who was transported to Summit Pacific Hospital in Elma, and Sheila J Hamilton, 47, Elma, who was transported to Capitol Medical Center in Olympia. Hamilton was a passenger in Sawyer’s car.

According to the State Patrol, Liening was eastbound in lane two or two and Sawyer was eastbound in lane one. Leining changed lanes to the right impacting the side of Sawyer’s 1997 Mercury Sable. Sawyer’s car veered off the road to the right and struck a large tree, rotated and came to rest in Wildcat Creek. Liening's Honda veered off the roadway to the left, struck the cable barrier, crossed both lanes of the road onto the southbound shoulder and coming to rest 30 feet off the road facing south. The roadway was blocked for 4¾ hours.

The cause of the wreck was still under investigation at press time and charges were listed as pending.