QUINCY — A five-car collision south of Quincy sent four people to the hospital Monday afternoon, according to a statement from the Washington State Patrol. 

At about 5 p.m., Kary J. Eaton, 59, of Quincy, driving a 2022 Toyota Corolla, was stopped in the northbound lane of state Route 281 waiting to turn left onto Road 4 Northwest when he was struck from behind by a 2017 GMC Sierra driven by Pedro R. Olivares, 19, also of Quincy, according to the statement. Avni Malhotra, 41, of Richland, driving south in a 2025 Toyota 4Runner, struck Olivares’ vehicle, and was then struck by a 2000 Dodge Dakota driven by Enrique B. Rivera, 34, of Quincy. Vincent C. Buckham, 84, of Moses Lake, driving a 2012 Ford 150 pickup, attempted to avoid the collision but sideswiped Olivares’ vehicle. Buckham’s truck came to rest in the southbound ditch; all the other vehicles came to rest in the southbound lane. 

Eaton, Malhotra and Rivera were all transported to Central Washington Hospital, the first two by airlift. Olivares was injured but taken to an unspecified hospital by private vehicle. Buckham, his passenger Patricia M. Buckham, 83, of Moses Lake and Malhotra’s passenger Etienne Fluet-Chouinard, 38, of Richland were unhurt. 

All parties were wearing seat belts, and it was unknown whether drugs or alcohol was a factor in the collision, according to the WSP. Charges were pending Tuesday morning against Olivares.