Three injured in crash on Highway 195

Three people were injured Monday in a head-on collision on U.S. Highway 195 near Rosalia, Wash., marking the third in a series of collisions on the same stretch of highway within a week.

On Monday, a car northbound on the highway drifted over the centerline about 2:45 p.m., and collided with a southbound vehicle just south of the turnoff to Rosalia and State Route 271, said Washington State Patrol Trooper Brad Hudson.

The highway was closed in both directions for several hours.

The driver of the northbound vehicle, Fedor N. Sichkar, 52, was airlifted to Deaconess Medical Center, where he was in serious condition Monday night, a hospital spokeswoman said.

His passenger, Nadezhda D. Sichkar, 44, was treated and released at the hospital. Both were from Spokane.

The driver of the southbound car, Christopher A. Stout, 45, of Lewiston, was taken to a Colfax hospital with minor injuries, Hudson said.

Troopers were patrolling the highway just 10 miles north of Monday’s accident scene in an effort to control the recent rash of collisions on the busy stretch of highway, Hudson said.

On Monday, they stopped 30 vehicles for speeding, Hudson said. On July 22, troopers stopped 40 cars for speeding in another traffic emphasis.

“We’re hoping we can get people to slow down,” Hudson said.