Associated Press
YAKIMA — A teen-age driver may have been racing another car when her vehicle hit a utility pole on a rural road, killing one of her passengers, the Washington State Patrol said Wednesday.
Hope Buermann, 16, died when Crystal Fraser’s 1974 Mercury Comet crashed into a power pole Tuesday afternoon, Lt. James Keightley said.
Fraser and two other passengers in the car, 16-year-old Michael Gibbs and 14-year-old Phillip Stumpf, were injured. Fraser was in stable condition at Providence Yakima Medical Center on Wednesday. The two boys were treated and released, Keightley said.
Witnesses told investigating officers that the Mercury had been racing a 1990 Eagle Talon.
The driver of the Eagle Talon, Steven Wentz, 16, and his three passengers were not hurt.
Fraser and Wentz were arrested for investigation of vehicular homicide and released to the custody of their parents, Keightley said. Results of the investigation will be turned over to the Yakima County prosecutor’s office to determine what, if any, charges should be filed.
Buermann was a student at East Valley High School, as are the other seven teen-agers.
Copyright ©2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.