Motorcycle Accident on SR 97 in Orondo Injures Two

A motorcycle rider and his passenger were both seriously injured Friday afternoon around 4:00 pm after a collision with a passenger car on State Route 97 in Orondo.

Washington State Patrol Trooper Jeremy Weber said 72-year-old Gary Spence and his passenger, 71-year-old Roberta Harris, both of Cashmere, were riding the motorcycle southbound near the Orondo Market when the accident occurred.

"There was some traffic that was just in front of the motorcycle that had stopped to turn into the market." explained Weber, "From inattention, the motorcycle just didn't stop and ran right into the back of the car."

The motorcycle came to rest on the southbound shoulder while the passenger car, a Chevy Cobalt, ended up blocking both the southbound and northbound lanes.

Harris was airlifted to Central Washington Hospital while Spence was taken to CWH via ambulance. The Cobalt's occupants, a family of four from Tonasket, were uninjured.

Spence was cited for failure to yield. The roadway was blocked for almost 3 hours.