A 67 year old Colfax woman was killed and five people were injured in a head on collision on U.S. Highway 195 South of Colfax Friday night.
The Washington State Patrol reports that the crash was caused by a bad pass from a 20 year old Vancouver Washington woman. Troopers determined that Makala Wheeler was driving a station wagon Southbound when she made an unsafe pass and hit a Northbound sedan head on. The driver of the sedan Sandra Hall died at the scene. Wheeler and her four passengers were all injured. Two of them were flown to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. Wheeler was taken to Pullman Regional Hospital. The other two passengers were transported to PRH and Whitman Hospital and Medical Clinics in Colfax. All of Wheeler’s passengers were 18 year olds from Vancouver. The crash occurred at 7:00 about five miles South of Colfax. The crash closed down the highway for several hours as traffic was detoured to Palouse onto State Route 27. The highway reopened at midnight. Troopers say alcohol or drug impairment was not involved.
Whitman County Fire District 11 Volunteers out of Colfax responded to the scene along with the City of Pullman Fire Department and Sheriff’s Deputies.