SPOKANE, Wash. — One of two people who lost their lives during Wednesday's windstorm in the Inland Northwest was a pediatrician and hospitalist at Shriners Hospital for Children in Spokane.
Melanie Sanborn, 42, died on Wednesday morning after a tree fell on her car at 27th Avenue and Post Street. The Spokane County Medical Examiner said she died from blunt force injuries and her death was ruled an accident.
Dr. Glen Baird, chief of staff for Shriners Hospital for Children in Spokane, provided the following statement about Dr. Sanborn's passing:
“We lost one of our Spokane Shriners Hospital family, Dr. Melanie Sanborn, in a tragic accident. We mourn this loss of our dear friend and our colleague. Melanie joined our medical staff in 2015 as our pediatrician and hospitalist. Melanie was a tireless advocate for kids and beloved by her patients. She provided care for our children undergoing surgery and personally managed the specialty clinics for our kids living with osteogenesis imperfecta and muscular dystrophy. Her loss to our staff, patients and families will be felt for some time.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family during this terribly sad time."
Jon Snider, a 59-year-old man from Post Falls, also died during the storm. He was driving on Highway 97 on Wednesday morning when a tree came off the hillside and hit his car.
Snider drove over the embankment off the highway toward Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho State Police said . He died from his injuries at the scene.