Injured kids found along highway after crash kills mother
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NASELLE, Wash. -- Two young girls spent several hours in darkness alongside a crash site where their mother had been killed until they were found by a passing driver early Wednesday morning, the Washington State Patrol said.
The crash happened around midnight Wednesday about seven miles south of Naselle on Highway 401 in Pacific County.
Troopers say 26-year-old Jessica Rath was on her way to pick up her husband, who is a fisherman. But the car ran off the road and struck a tree, killing the mother and injuring her 4- and 2-year-old daughters inside.
State police said it appears Rath fell asleep at the wheel.
It wasn't until hours later that a passer-by saw the marks on the road and then discovered the kids nearby. Both kids were taken to Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria, Ore. with serious injuries -- the 2-year-old with very serious injuries, troopers said. Both children were transferred to OHSU in Portland.
Investigators say the 4-year-old may have pulled the 2-year-old from the car and kept her warm with a blanket.
Troopers also praised the passer-by for the person's awareness in spotting the wreckage deep within a wooded area off the highway.
Photo courtesy: Washington State Patrol
"Full marks and Well done is all you can say to the person who took the time to find these baby girls at this crash," Trooper Russ Winger tweeted.
Both girls suffered broken bones. The 2-year-old was still in the hospital Wednesday night.
Winger said the girls could have easily died if they had been out there for any longer.
"It may be that they stayed down in there and got hypothermia very easily down there," he said. "They were out there for hours in the dark."
The crash is still under investigation.
KATU News reporter Emily Sinovic contributed from Portland, Ore.
The crash happened around midnight Wednesday about seven miles south of Naselle on Highway 401 in Pacific County.
Troopers say 26-year-old Jessica Rath was on her way to pick up her husband, who is a fisherman. But the car ran off the road and struck a tree, killing the mother and injuring her 4- and 2-year-old daughters inside.
State police said it appears Rath fell asleep at the wheel.
It wasn't until hours later that a passer-by saw the marks on the road and then discovered the kids nearby. Both kids were taken to Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria, Ore. with serious injuries -- the 2-year-old with very serious injuries, troopers said. Both children were transferred to OHSU in Portland.
Investigators say the 4-year-old may have pulled the 2-year-old from the car and kept her warm with a blanket.
Troopers also praised the passer-by for the person's awareness in spotting the wreckage deep within a wooded area off the highway.
Photo courtesy: Washington State Patrol
"Full marks and Well done is all you can say to the person who took the time to find these baby girls at this crash," Trooper Russ Winger tweeted.
Both girls suffered broken bones. The 2-year-old was still in the hospital Wednesday night.
Winger said the girls could have easily died if they had been out there for any longer.
"It may be that they stayed down in there and got hypothermia very easily down there," he said. "They were out there for hours in the dark."
The crash is still under investigation.
KATU News reporter Emily Sinovic contributed from Portland, Ore.
Heart wrenching!
How heartbreaking. Those little girls must have been so scared. My little girl is 2 and I couldn't even imagine her being in a situation like this. I hope they are ok.
A angel had to have whispered into this gentleman's ear for him to have noticed that barked tree. Bless him and the babies as well.
Poor little girls. Speedy recovery. Best wishes for the family.
Very Sad! Prayers to the family and freinds, especially the children!
This story just breaks my heart. I used to live in Chinook and have driven down that road late at night many times. Prayers to everyone involved :(
How very sad for this family. God Bless the man who was so observant and thought to consider stopping when he saw something out of place. Prayers to all.
Wow, an angel definitely guided this man there because anyone else would have missed it. What a blessing that the two little girls are still alive.
@IronWafflez Why didn't the angel wake up the mom before she crashed instead?
Bless the passerby. Condolence to lost of the woman.Â
Reading this is just heart breaking. My thoughts go out to the husband and daughters. I am going to hug my daughters a little tighter.Â
Thank god the kids survived and for the passerby that found them.
not many stories make me cry anymore, but this one choked me up. How heartbreaking.
Those poor little babies. So glad that someone found them and they will be okay.Â
How horribly sad.
I know this area very well, having spent some of my younger days down there. Â Very dark road even on the clearest of nights. Â Tragic story. Â Additional details can be found here:Â http://www.chinookobserver.com/free/mother-identified-in-tragic-crash-between-naselle-and-astoria/article_222fe9ea-7bac-11e2-9ee3-0019bb2963f4.html
@d_2
Thank you for the link. Itâs a shame that the KOMO âstaffâ that posted this story didnât either have or take the time to run a fast search for this story and only reposted what they saw from Portlandâs KATUâs feed. Many more facts and when you look at the photo of the tree, you can really appreciate just how observant the person was that found the kids. That tree was set back a bit from the guardrail, and Iâd bet most of us would have missed the implications of the missing bark. Good job driver!
And I guess thatâs why itâs a by-line of âKOMO Staffâ vice a real nameâ¦..
PS, great handle â my nickname!
@dome200q The Chinook Observer is a local paper on the Long Beach Peninsula where I spent some of my younger days. I have driven that road countless times between Naselle and Chinook. I figure this is around a large curve where Knappton Road intersects. While it is no less than a miracle that the driver stopped, it is an area where if something is out of the ordinary it has a tendency to stand out. Locals are very observant of subtle changes. Heartbreaking story indeed.
@d_2
I can understand that. While Iâm not familiar with area, I drive down 101 anytime I head south to my bro-in-lawâs house in Tillamook and understand the terrain â and how things can and will stand out for a local. Youâre right, heartbreaking (even more so for me, my B-I-L is also a commercial fisherman) but also a miracle.
Why does it always have to take something this sad to remind us how good we really have it. I hope this ladies husband and children have lots of family and friends to help them get through this. - RIP
Blessings on the sharp-eyed motorist.
Amazing that the person discovered all this in the dark of night. They must have known the area pretty well.
@SandyBeach In another news article: Link is above. The person who found them did so at about 8 - 8:30 am. Happy that he was observant to notice the tree with fresh bark missing and stopped to check it out. I am sure he saved those two little girls from a lot worse that might of happened to them.
I hope the husband/father is doing as well as can be expected right now, and that he and his girls have other family nearby. Those poor babies; hopefully they both pull through and remember nothing of the actual event in the years to come.
So sad, I hope the family will be able to find peace and hope once again. I will pray for the little ones.Â
I have no problems today.Â
@justsaying Ain't that the truth. All else pales in comparison.
@justsaying --really puts everything into perspective, doesn't it?
what a nightmare
Oh, how awful! I can't even imagine how terrified and upset those kids must have been! Small and hurt, alone in the dark with their mother dead and no one to help them... No one should ever have to go through that. I hope their community and family bands together to help them and their father through this. If I had anything to give but condolences I would give in a heartbeat. As it is, all I can do is hope and pray for them to recover quickly from their injuries and receive all the love and care anyone can give them.
omg....
Totally heartbreaking.
Horrifying and sad :(