WSP Investigators are trying to figure out how an 82-year-old woman got into the 'wrong' lanes on I-182 Monday afternoon around 2:40PM. This image from WSP Trooper Thorson on Twitter. He ovesees the Mid Columbia Region for the State Patrol.

Sadly,  Edwina Steward of Richland, died when she collided head on with a car driven by 16-year-old Kylie Cushing, who was then rushed to an area hospital Troopers said her injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.

Troopers and investigators did not say where Steward began driving west in the east bound lanes, but she did somewhere before the I-182 bridge over the Columbia to Richland.

That's where the crash occurred, just before the bridge, setting off a six car chain reaction accident. No other serious injuries were reported among the other four vehicles beside the two primarily involved. The Department of Transportation closed that stretch of road, snarling traffic for seveal hours.

Officials do not know how many other cars Steward missed before hitting Cushing head on. I-182 continues to be a stretch of road where a significant amount of accidents occur, although until now most of have been due to excessive speed; often involving street racers trying to take advantage of the long straight stretch from CBC to Richland.

All six drivers involved, including Steward, were wearing safety belts.

 

 

More From 97.1 KXRX