15-year-old Warden girl injured in wreck

WARDEN - A Warden teenager was injured seriously on Dec. 23 when the vehicle she was riding struck another about eight miles west of Warden on Highway 262.

Katie A. Orozco, 15, was transported by ambulance to Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake. She was a passenger in a 2003 Mitsubishi Galant driven by Daniel J. Clarke, 16, of Warden.

Neither drugs nor alcohol were involved, the Washington State Patrol said. Clarke was not injured.

Clarke was stopped southbound on Road M SE where it intersects with 262. Cody Meyette, 27, of Warden was eastbound on 262 in a 2004 Peterbilt tractor and trailer.

According to the WSP, Clarke failed to see the truck as he turned onto 262 eastbound. His Mitsubishi hit the truck in the side.

Both vehicles ended up off the road. The car was totaled and needed to be towed. The truck sustained reportable damage but was driven from the scene.

Both drivers and the passenger wore their seat belts. The WSP reported that Clarke will be cited for failure to yield right of way.