PORT ANGELES — The 9-year-old Hamilton Elementary School student who was injured in a head-on collision Easter Sunday remained in stable condition in a Seattle hospital on Monday.
Ashlen Dinius, a third-grader at Hamilton, was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle Sunday after the 1995 Chevrolet Suburban in which she was riding in crashed into a Pettit Oil Co. truck on U.S. Highway 101 just north of Shelton.
Her mother, Denise Dinius, 30, and the driver, Bernard T. Deboard, 31, died on impact, according to state troopers.
KIRO-TV in Seattle on Monday identified Deboard as Dinius’ boyfriend, although the relationship couldn’t be confirmed.
Washington State Patrol spokesman Brian George said troopers still haven’t determined why the Suburban, which was towing a utility trailer, crossed the centerline of the two-lane highway while heading north and slammed into the empty Pettit Oil Co. tanker.
All three passengers in the Chevrolet were wearing their seat belts and were registered as Port Angeles residents, according to the State Patrol.
Two men in the 2003 Kenworth oil tanker truck — also wearing their seat belts — escaped physical injury according to officials.
The driver of a 2002 Kia Spectra that could not be stopped in time to avoid colliding into the truck — Kelly D. Smith, 45, of Quilcene — sustained minor injuries and was released from Mason General Hospital.
A Port Angeles School District official said administrators at Hamilton were working to ensure that Ashlen’s classmates had emotional support.
“This is a very complex and challenging day for Hamilton Elementary’s third-grade class,” said Ron Spanjer, the district’s assistant superintendent.
“We are holding the family in our thoughts, and our intentional effort today is to support the staff and classmates.
“They’re pulling together to support one another and hope for a positive outcome for Ashlen.”
