Father and 2-year-old killed in collision near Ellensburg

The Washington State Patrol has details of an unspeakable tragedy involving a family in northern Illinois.

44-year-old Jeffrey White of Kirkland, Illinois, was killed along with 2-year-old Maelynn White. We have received confirmation from a WSP spokesperson that Maelynn was Jeffrey’s daughter.

On Saturday, just after 2:30 a.m., Jeffrey was traveling west on Interstate 90. That was about 15 miles west of Ellensburg.

Jeffrey veered off the road and hit an embankment and then a canal wall. The vehicle ended up on its roof.

Both Jeffrey and Maelynn were pronounced dead at the scene.

They were wearing seat belts, as was five-year-old Jackson White, who was also in the vehicle. Jackson suffered non-fatal injuries and was treated at Harborview Medical Center.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Jeffrey and his children were traveling in a 2024 Toyota Tacoma; the vehicle was a total loss.