Deadly Crash Shuts Hwy 2 For Hours - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

DEER PARK, Wash – Police are investigating a deadly crash that happened Friday morning around 9:30 a.m. on Highway 2 near Bailey Road north of Spokane.

Washington State Patrol says 37-year-old Garry Baumgartner of Valleyford, Washington was driving northbound on Hwy 2 in a white commercial truck.  He pulled over to check his directions, and began to do a U-turn, but WSP says he didn't see 59-year-old John Sanderson of Spokane on his motorcycle. 

Sanderson was also heading northbound, and hit the truck.  The MedStar helicopter was called in, but there was nothing medics could do.  Sanderson died at the scene. 

Baumgartner was taken to Sacred Heart with a deep gash to his face, and was expected to go into surgery Friday afternoon. 

Traffic was reduced on the highway for almost 4 hours while police investigated. 

"Technically this is an area where you can legally do a U-turn," said WSP Trooper Troy Briggs. 
"But obviously, you need to make sure that you yield to traffic that's coming in both directions before you do that." 

WSP is still speaking with eyewitnesses, and says Baumgartner will be cited.