One Dead, One Injured in Multi-Vehicle Collision in Kittitas County

Tragic events unfolded in Kittitas County today. 21-year-old Elmer Secenamorales succumbed to injuries he sustained in a traffic collision.

The account below was relayed by the Washington State Patrol. This incident took place about 20 miles north of Ellensburg.

27-year-old Saul Avila Valadez, a resident of the Mexican city Guanajuato, was northbound on SR97.

Heading southbound were 61-year-old Gregory Bretz, of Mammoth Lakes, California, and 45-year-old Jared Thayer, of Sequim, Washington. Bretz and Thayer were in separate vehicles.

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Valadez entered the southbound lane of SR97, colliding with Bretz and Thayer.

Valadez was accompanied by three passengers, two of whom emerged unscathed.  The third passenger - Secenamorales - was pronounced dead at the scene.

Neither Bretz nor Thayer were injured. The former was driving solo. The latter was traveling with a single passenger: 22-year-old Margaret Thayer. She too was uninjured.

Valadez did sustain injuries; he was treated at Harborview Medical Center.

All parties involved, including Secenamorales, had their seatbelts fastened.

It is not immediately clear what will become of Valadez, but per the WSP, criminal charges may be leveled against him.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. It is not yet known whether Valadez was under the influence of intoxicants.

The incident vehicles were:

• A 2009 Nissan Altima driven by Valadez; the vehicle was totaled
• A 2022 Ford F250 driven by Bretz; the vehicle sustained reportable damage
• A trailer attached to Bretz' vehicle; it was towed away
• A 1994 Ford F250 driven by Thayer; it too sustained reportable damage
• A boat trailer attached to Thayer's vehicle; it was towed