Seattle man dies in Winthrop wreck

     A popular Seattle musical conductor was killed in a head-on collision Saturday evening (July 31) near Winthrop as he was on his way to give a lecture during the Methow Valley Chamber Music Festival.
     According to the Washington State Patrol, George Shangrow, 59, was driving his 2005 Volvo wagon eastbound on State Road 20 about a mile east of Winthrop at about 5:45 p.m. Meanwhile, a 16-year-old Twisp boy was driving a 2000 BMW X5 SUV westbound. According to the State Patrol memo, the teen's vehicle crossed the centerline and crashed head-on with Shangrow's Volvo in the eastbound lane.
     Heavy rain was falling at the time of the collision, according to State Patrol Sgt. Mike Saunders.
     The collision closed Highway 20 between Witte Road and Twin Lakes Road for about six hours, Saunders said.
     Rescue workers spent more than an hour extricating Shangrow from his vehicle.
The juvenile, whose name was not released, was transported to Mid-Valley Hospital in Omak where he was treated for ankle and collarbone injuries and released.
     Police say both drivers were wearing their seatbelts and neither alcohol nor drugs are believed to have played a part in the accident.
     Saunders said the physical evidence at the scene indicated the BMW was across the centerline at the point of impact, but witness statements indicate that the teen was not speeding or driving erratically before the crash. Charges against the juvenile are pending the completion of the investigation.
      Both vehicles were totaled.
                                                                            – John Hanron