The Mason County Coroner identified two people who died in a collision with a Washington State Patrol trooper's vehicle on U.S. 101 Saturday afternoon.
Ollala residents Charles Ferree, 72, and Deolia Blandford, 49, died at the scene of the crash six miles south of Shelton, Coroner Jaime Taylor said in a Facebook post.
"The next of kin for both families have been informed," Taylor said in the post. "Our heartfelt condolences go out to the families."
The collision occurred at 2:37 p.m. as a trooper drove across the intersection of U.S. 101 and Lynch Road. The Sheriff's Office said the trooper was heading south on U.S. 101 while responding to another emergency in the area, with lights and sirens on, when the collision occurred.
First responders found Ferree and Blandford dead at the scene, according to the Sheriff's Office post. The trooper did not suffer serious injuries, according to the State Patrol news release, but they were transported to a local hospital as a precaution.
The roadway was closed "well into the evening hours" following the collision, according to a State Patrol news release.
The Mason County Sheriff's Office is leading the investigation into the crash.
