205 W 5th Ave Ellensburg, WA 98926-2887
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Kittitas (pronounced 'KITT-i-tass') County is located in central Washington State. It spans from the lush forested Cascade Mountains to the upper Yakima River Valley plains and the Columbia River.
Kittitas County, WA - 07/30/2023 - Yesterday, four young people died in a rollover accident involving a side-by-side all-terrain-vehicle near the town of Liberty.
At almost 4 pm on Saturday July 29, deputies and fire units responded to a 911 report that a Polaris Razor side-by-side ATV rolled and burst into flame while driving on a dirt road in the Wenatchee-Okanogan National Forest, near Liberty Rd west of the town of Liberty. Local fire and medic units arrived within minutes to start treating survivors and prevent the gas-fueled fire from spreading. No other vehicles were involved and no-one outside the Razor was hurt. The owner and driver of the ATV was 24-year-old Conner Jenkins of Orting. Also in the vehicle were Conner’s friend, 23-year-old Benjamin Gomez Santana of Covington and a couple they met that day, 26-year-old Devon Anonson of Kent and 24-year-old Halle Cole of Maple Valley. Gomez Santana and Cole died at the scene of the accident. Helicopters transported Jenkins and Anonson to Harborview hospital’s burn center in critical condition, but neither young man survived the night. Sheriff Myers, members of his office, and all Kittitas County first responders grieve the incalculable loss of these four families. The open field where the accident occurred is a popular recreational spot for campers and ATV’s. The cause of the accident and fire are under investigation.
Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us
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Contact: Chris Whitsettchristopher.whitsett@co.kittitas.wa.us509-962-7615