READ MORE WASHINGTON CAR ACCIDENT LEGAL NEWS
The Mitchells and their passengers were headed home after a camping trip in eastern Washington when Sean Mitchell, who was driving, apparently fell asleep behind the wheel.
"It seems like the driver just fell asleep and drifted off to the left shoulder and struck the guardrail, then struck the actual cement bridge abutment," Washington State Patrol trooper Cliff Pratt told the news source.
The child sustained only minor injuries, as did the 22-year-old in the passenger seat, but the 15-year-old in the backseat suffered a broken thigh bone and internal injuries. Both of the passengers were reportedly family friends.
There were 521 traffic fatalities in Washington state during 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.