CHEWELAH, WA — Two people were killed Wednesday in a head-on crash on US 395 about three miles south of Chewelah, according to Washington State Patrol. The collision shut down the highway in both directions for hours while troopers and other agencies worked the scene.
Washington State Department of Transportation said a detour was in place, but drivers were warned to expect delays. By late afternoon, WSP said the roadway had reopened.
Troopers said the crash happened around 11:37 a.m. and involved two vehicles, one of which rolled during the wreck.
Witnesses said a southbound driver crossed into oncoming traffic
Washington State Patrol officials at the scene said the collision was head-on. They added that multiple witnesses saw a southbound driver swerve into the northbound lane before impact.
That movement set off the deadly crash, though troopers have not released a final cause. The agency said one vehicle rolled after the collision, adding to the severity of the scene.
Because the crash involved both directions of travel, officials closed the highway while investigators documented the site and managed traffic around the blockage.
One driver and one passenger were killed at the scene
WSP said the driver of the southbound vehicle died, and a passenger in the northbound vehicle was also killed. The driver of the northbound vehicle was taken to the hospital with critical injuries.
Troopers later said that injured driver was believed to be stable. No additional information was immediately released about the condition of the victim or the circumstances that led to the collision.
The names of the people killed were not initially released when the crash was first reported.
The highway closure stretched through the afternoon before traffic resumed
At first, state officials said the reopening time was unknown. With the wreck blocking the road near Chewelah, WSDOT urged drivers to use the detour and plan for slowdowns in the area.
The closure affected US 395 northbound and southbound while crews worked. Later in the day, WSP said the roadway was open again.
The crash drew a response from multiple police agencies, underscoring the scale of the investigation and the traffic disruption on a major north-south route.
State patrol later identified the victims as Brian Smith and Jodie Valim
By Tuesday evening, Washington State Patrol identified the two people who died as 50-year-old Brian Smith of Seattle and 55-year-old Jodie Valim of Fruitland.
Those names came after the initial crash update and confirmed the identities of the people killed in the head-on wreck. WSP did not provide additional details about their relationship to the crash or where each person was traveling from.
The agency’s updates show the investigation continued after the highway reopened.
What drivers were told while investigators worked the scene
For motorists heading through the area, the biggest immediate issue was the full closure and the detour around the crash site. Officials said delays were likely even with a reroute in place.
The combination of a head-on collision, a rollover, and critical injuries made the scene a serious one for troopers and responders. Washington State Patrol’s timeline also showed how quickly the situation evolved, from an unknown reopening estimate to a reopened highway later in the day.
Even after traffic resumed, investigators were still piecing together how the southbound vehicle ended up in the northbound lane.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
