Teen Driver Who Crashed Car & Sparked Wildfire Near Liberty Charged With Negligent Driving

Authorities have released the details surrounding a single-vehicle accident that sparked a wildfire in Kittitas County over the weekend.

The Washington State Patrol says the crash occurred Sunday at around 12:15 a.m. on U.S. Highway 97 (US-97), when a sedan driven by 18-year-old Jackson Kenyon of East Wenatchee lost control, went off the roadway, and struck a tree.

Kenyon was injured in the collision and transported to Confluence Health Hospital in Wenatchee for treatment.

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The impact of Kenyon's car hitting the tree caused the vehicle to catch fire, and the flames quickly spread - causing a wildfire that eventually covered torched 35 acres and closed a 25-mile stretch of US-97 over Blewett Pass until Monday morning.

Troopers say Kenyon wasn't intoxicated but did cause the accident, and charges of second-degree negligent driving are pending against him.