Two people were killed and one was in critical condition after a two-car crash on Mount Baker Highway Friday night, Sept. 16, according to the Washington State Patrol.

Justin D. Vance, 24, was driving westbound on Mount Baker Highway near Noon Road at about 10:30 p.m. when the crash occurred.

He was speeding and passing cars erratically when he lost control of his 1999 Ford Escape, crossed the center line and hit a car traveling eastbound, according to State Patrol.

Vance and the driver of the other car, Deming resident Sarah F. Baisden, 20, died at the scene. Both were wearing seatbelts.

Vance's passenger, Jacquiline Schmidt, 20, was taken to St. Joseph hospital, where she was in critical condition Saturday afternoon. She and Vance were dating.

Troopers list the cause of the crash as reckless driving.

Bellingham resident Mike Vance, 28, described his younger brother as a "good-hearted person" who was enthusiastic about his family and hobbies. More than anything, he loved his 2-year-old son, John Guard Vance.

"He was a family person," he said, "very dedicated to his family."

Vance, who graduated from Bellingham High School in 2008, was getting ready to start school at Whatcom Community College to study the computer field, his brother said.

Baisden's cousins, Jovana and Tiffany Baisden, described her as bubbly, spontaneous, very smart and a constant source of good advice. The cousins grew up with Baisen and her younger sister, Kathryn, living down the same road in Deming.

"Sarah was so amazing and she would bring smiles to every single person in the worst situations ever," said Tiffany, 21. "She's more like a sister. We always did stuff together and we were all so close. We would always meet every day, all of us, and we'd go out and we'd play or we'd do something. It never stopped."
Sarah had just moved back in with her dad in Deming after getting her minor in Spanish at Eastern Washington University, where she was on the dean's list. She planned to work and save money for a year while she studied at Whatcom Community College so she could attend the University of Washington with Jovana.

"Sarah was the smartest girl I know. I went to her for everything. I would email her my papers and she would edit them and send them back to me from college," said Jovana, 19. "She knew what she wanted to do and she was so happy because she knew how she was going to do it."
Tiffany described this as the happiest time of Sarah's life and said her family has been devastated by her death. "Some people are hanging in there but it's just hard," Tiffany said. "It feels like we're just totally broken."

Jovana had spoken with Sarah the day before the accident, and they ended the conversation the way they had since they were kids.

"The last thing we always say is, 'See ya, love ya, bye.'"


Read more: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/09/17/2189221/2-dead-1-in-critical-condition.html#ixzz1YjJ2AMFj