Spokane Valley Fire Roundup: Teen dies in single-vehicle crash on Bowdish
A serious car crash at 17th Avenue and Bowdish Road at 12:35 a.m. Sunday morning sent three people to the hospital. The backseat passenger in the car, an 18-year-old man, later died of his injuries.
The Spokane Valley Fire Department responded to the call to find a car on its side that had apparently hit a tree at high speed. It came to rest in the front yard of a home. The most seriously injured occupant was trapped inside the car and the damaged roof was torn off in order to remove the person for rapid transport to a local hospital, said department spokeswoman Julie Happy.
Once the trapped person was removed, the other two people, the 17-year-old male driver and a 19-year-old woman, were able to get out of the car on their own, Happy said. They were also taken to a local hospital for treatment.
According to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, the vehicle was speeding south on Bowdish and ran a stop sign at 16th Avenue before beginning to spin. It crossed the centerline and went off the road, where it struck large landscaping boulders before hitting the tree. The juvenile was not seriously injured and is suspected of being impaired at the time of the crash, said Cpl. Mark Gregory. After being treated at a local hospital he was arrested and booked into jail on charges of vehicular homicide and vehicular assault.
The identity of the passenger who died had not been released as of Monday.
Other calls from Jan. 17-23
Jan. 18: A construction crew reported at 10:03 a.m. that they had hit a natural gas line in the area of Bessie Road and Maringo Drive. Nearby residents were urged to evacuate. Avista responded and shut off the gas. Another possible gas leak was reported at UGM Motors on East Sprague Avenue at 11:53 p.m. Hissing could be heard coming from the gas meter. Avista was called.
Jan. 20: A car crash was reported in the 11700 block of East Mansfield Avenue at 9:44 a.m. A pickup truck traveling east spun until it was facing west, crossed the westbound lane, hopped the curb and stopped in landscaping next to the sidewalk. The driver did not report being injured.
Jan. 21: A vehicle fire was reported in the 19900 block of East Eighth Avenue at 5:38 p.m. Crews found a small sedan with flames coming from the engine compartment and out of both rear tail lights. Firefighters had to force open the hood in order to fully put the fire out. A possible natural gas leak was reported in the 2800 block of North Cherry Street at 7:13 p.m. No gas was detected on monitors and firefighters could find no natural gas meters in the area and were able to confirm that the apartment complex is not served by natural gas.
Jan. 22: A shed fire was reported in the 12300 block of East Portland Avenue at 5:16 a.m. Crews found a small detached outbuilding on fire on one side. The cause of the fire is under investigation. A vehicle fire was reported in the 5200 block of East Sprague Avenue at 9:33 a.m. Crews found an SUV with the back hatch open and a fire that had already been put out with a fire extinguisher. The driver told firefighters that she’d had problems with the amplifier and she noticed smoke coming from the passenger side stereo speaker panel.
Jan. 23: A car crash was reported in the 9200 block of East Appleway Boulevard at 2:45 a.m. A vehicle hit the building housing Dishman Mica Self Storage. Crews reported a “sedan sized hole” in the building. A travel trailer fire was reported in the 7300 block of East Cataldo Avenue at 8:49 p.m. The 911 caller reported that people were using a garden hose on the fire. When crews arrived, the fire was out. The person living in the trailer was injured.
By the numbers: Crews responded to 434 calls the week of Jan. 17-23, including 367 calls for emergency medical services. Other responses included 18 car crashes, a woman who accidentally locked her baby inside her car, a reported plume of smoke at a business that turned out to be steam and a fire alarm triggered by a malfunctioning toaster.
Nina Culver can be reached at nculver47@gmail.com.