SEKIU — Three children were airlifted to a Seattle hospital after a two-car head-on collision west of Sekiu that also injured three adults.
As of Wednesday, Jaydyn E. Mendoza, 4, and Parker A. Parter 7, both of Forks, were in serious condition in the intensive care unit at Harborview Medical Center, while Brandon L. Fincher, 2, of Forks was in satisfactory condition, a spokeswoman said.
Laura Ann McNally, 48, of Forks and Sydney A. Bowechop, 27, of Neah Bay were taken by ambulance to Forks Community Hospital after the 2:58 p.m. Tuesday wreck.
Both were treated and discharged, a hospital spokeswoman said.
A third adult, Jesse Werry, 45, of Sekiu, was reported to be injured but left the scene before emergency crews arrived, the State Patrol said.
Traffic was limited to one lane during the initial investigation. The highway fully reopened at 7:18 p.m. Tuesday.
The State Patrol said that McNally was driving a Ford Mustang westbound, with Werry and the 2-year-old as passengers, on state Highway 112 at Milepost 12.5 when the car crossed the center line and struck a Honda CR-V.
Bowechop was driving the Honda eastbound, with two child passengers, Jaydyn and Parker.
McNally told the State Patrol a tire blew out on the left front of the Mustang and caused her to lose control, said Trooper Russ Winger, spokesman for the State Patrol.
Winger said State Patrol technical investigators continued the probe into the cause of the wreck Wednesday and were seeking evidence of the reported blowout.
“The front of both vehicles were pretty well destroyed when they hit head-on,” he said.
Charges are pending, dependent on the outcome of the investigation, he added.
Because of the nature of the children’s injuries, investigators believe Jaydyn and Parker were not secured in car seats or seat belts, Winger said.
“They were thrown around in the vehicle,” he said.
Under state law, a child must be secured in a vehicle in a child safety seat or approved seat booster until the child is 8 years old or 4 feet, 9 inches tall.
Winger said there was a car seat in the Mustang for Brandon, but there were indications it was not used properly.
Adults were secured with seat belts, the State Patrol said.
Left on foot
Witnesses said Werry appeared to be injured in the wreck, but left the scene on foot, Winger said.
There is a felony warrant in the system for Werry, and he might have left the scene for that reason, Winger added.
The State Patrol would like to talk to Werry about the wreck, but Winger said troopers are not seeking him on charges relating to leaving the scene.
Neither drugs nor alcohol are thought to have contributed to the wreck, according to the State Patrol report.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
