Washington State

16-year-old girl dies in car crash near Rathdrum

A 16-year-old girl died Friday afternoon after she crashed her car into a traffic light near Rathdrum.

The girl, of Rathdrum, was taken to a nearby hospital following the crash but died Saturday from her injuries, according to a news memo from Idaho State Police. The department did not identify the girl.

Just before 2:30 p.m. Friday, the girl was driving a 2016 Volkswagen Jetta north on state Highway 41 in Kootenai County at a "high rate of speed," according to the ISP. She lost control of her vehicle, colliding into a traffic-light pole at Wyoming Avenue.

Police don't believe alcohol or drugs were involved in the crash.

Elena Perry's work is funded in part by members of the Spokane community via the Community Journalism and Civic Engagement Fund. This story can be republished by other organizations for free under a Creative Commons license. For more information on this, please contact our newspaper's managing editor.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

Get one year of unlimited digital access for $159.99
#ReadLocal

Only 44¢ per day

SUBSCRIBE NOW