Girl injured in car accident declared brain dead

A 9-year-old girl was declared brain dead today from injuries she suffered in a collision at Monroe Road and Hazard Road Thursday. The child, identified as Olivia Chaffin, of Deer Park, was riding with her father and grandmother when their vehicle collided with another car that failed to stop at the intersection about 6 p.m. Chaffin was airlifted to a Spokane hospital with internal injuries, and was declared brain dead about noon today, said Detective Dave Thornburg of the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. The grandmother, Shirley Chaffin, 64, suffered fractures and was still in stable condition today at a Spokane hospital. The girl’s father and the driver, 40-year-old Richard Chaffin, had minor injuries. Richard Chaffin began CPR on his daughter after the crash Thursday until medics arrived, Thornburg said. A pizza delivery driver, identified as Echo Henderson, 24, of Clayton, reportedly failed to stop at a stop sign. Henderson agreed to a voluntary blood draw as part of the investigation. Thornburg said in a news release that alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the collision. In a second crash Thursday in north Spokane County, 59-year-old Stephen Guy of Deer Park was killed in a 4:30 p.m. accident in the 1400 block of West Wild Rose Road when his car left the roadway at a high rate of speed, striking three trees and flying through the air. Thornburg said a medical condition may have caused the man to accelerate and lose control, however autopsy results released today were inconclusive as to whether that was the case. Toxicology results won’t be known for at least a month, Thornburg said.