Mattawa woman hurt in collision with elk

A Mattawa woman was injured Monday night when her car struck an elk, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Maired Tapia, 19, was driving a white 2007 BMW 328 just before 8:57 p.m. westbound on state Route 24, about 14 miles east of Moxee, when the BMW struck an elk laying in the road and rolled.

Tapia was taken to Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital in Yakima for her injuries. Her passengers, Kristine J. Cedeno, 17, and Wendy Gonzalez Ponce, 14, both of Mattawa, were uninjured. All three wore seat belts, but the car was totaled.

The cause was deemed “wildlife in roadway” according to the WSP.