Man dead, woman injured in high-speed Spokane Valley crash that split car in half

A man was killed and a woman was seriously injured when the man crashed a car at a high speed, splitting it in half Friday morning in Spokane Valley.

Initial information indicated the man was driving a Volvo S60 at an “extremely high rate of speed” east on Valleyway Avenue near McDonald Road around 5:20 a.m., according to a Spokane Valley Police Department news release.

The car bottomed out, the driver lost control and the Volvo started to spin across the road, striking a boulder, rolling and hitting a tree, splitting the car in two and completely dislodging the motor from the engine bay, police said.

The driver died at the scene and the passenger was taken to the hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries. Both are believed to be adults, but their identities have not been confirmed. Spokane Valley firefighters assisted at the scene.

KHQ reported that both occupants were 19 and that the woman was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Police have not determined whether the driver was impaired, but they said reckless driving and excessive speed contributed to the crash. The crash is under investigation.