2 seriously injured in suspected DUI crash near Kittitas
KITTITAS COUNTY, Wash. - A 16-year-old girl is in the hospital with serious injuries after a head-on collision near Kittitas.
According to the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office, 57-year-old Richard Harding was driving eastbound on Vantage Highway around 7 p.m. Saturday. Authorities say Harding drifted over the centerline and crashed head-on into a pickup truck driven by a 16-year-old girl.
Harding’s SUV spun and hit another car, driven by another 16-year-old girl.
Both Harding’s car and the pickup truck were severely damaged in the crash, and the first girl suffered multiple compound leg fractures.
Deputies applied a tourniquet to slow the girl’s bleeding before medical crews arrived.
Harding had to be airlifted to the hospital for treatment.
Deputies suspect Harding might have been intoxicated, and issued a warrant for his blood sample. Authorities say he could face felony vehicular assault charges if a lab analysis confirms he was under the influence.
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The 16-year-old girl is expected to recover at the hospital, but authorities say "it will be a long process."