2 dead in crash involving Washington State trooper near Shelton

The Washington State Patrol confirmed Saturday that a crash in Mason County involving one of their troopers resulted in the deaths of two people.

The collision happened at about 2:37 p.m. Saturday on U.S. Highway 101, south of Shelton.

According to the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, the trooper was heading south to an emergency situation with their lights and sirens on when they went through the intersection of Taylor Town and Lynch Road and collided with another vehicle.

Two people died in the collision. The Mason County coroner identified them as Charles Ferree, 72, and Deolia Blandford, 49, both of Ollala.

According to the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, preliminary details revealed the couple pulled into the roadway, either attempting to cross the highway or cross the road to get into a turn lane when they pulled in front of the speeding trooper.

According to the Washington State Patrol, the involved trooper was not seriously injured, but they were taken to a hospital as a precaution.

At about 7:45 p.m., northbound 101 was reduced to one lane and southbound traffic was being diverted to the west side of Lynch Road.

The Mason County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident.