Maria Sanchez-Romero Injured in Head-On Collision Near Blewett Pass, Washington

On the afternoon of September 5, 2025, a serious motor vehicle collision occurred on U.S. Highway 97 near milepost 173 at Blewett Pass in Washington State. According to the Washington State Patrol, a northbound 2016 Nissan Rogue crossed the center line and struck a southbound semi-truck hauling a refrigerated trailer. The Rogue was occupied by three individuals from Wenatchee: 60-year-old driver Ramiro Sanchez-Montes, 52-year-old Maria I. Sanchez-Romero, and a 13-year-old girl. All three were transported to Central Washington Hospital with injuries. The semi-truck driver, a 35-year-old man from Florida, was uninjured.

Authorities reported that failure to maintain lane was the cause of the crash. Drugs and alcohol were ruled out as contributing factors. Both vehicles sustained significant damage and were removed from the scene. The collision led to the closure of both directions of U.S. 97 for several hours as emergency crews responded and cleared the wreckage.