Woman killed in head-on State Highway 9 crash

Head-on collisions are common occurrences on Washington’s rural highways. Many of these roads lack center dividers and other safety devices that most drivers take for granted on the Interstate Highway System. The lack of a center divider may have been a major contributing factor in a recent head-on crash near the town of Sedro-Wolley, a small town northwest of Seattle.

The accident

According to the Washington State Patrol, a resident of Oak Harbor was traveling north on State Route 9 at Bassett Road in a Silverado pickup truck. The pickup truck crossed the center line and struck a Jeep Compass head-on. The female driver of the Compass was critically injured in the collision and was immediately transported to Skagit Valley Hospital; she was then taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for further treatment. She died from her injuries while being treated at Harborview.

The driver of the pickup was taken to Providence Hospital for treatment. His condition is unknown. Both vehicles were totaled and were taken to the bullpen run by State Patrol District 7 as evidence.

Possible impairment

The driver of the pickup truck was allegedly under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the collision. He was initially charged with driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and vehicular assault. These charges are expected to be upgraded to vehicular homicide.

Liability

The driver of the pickup is most likely the principal target for any claims seeking to recover damage for the wrongful death of the driver of the Jeep. Most witnesses to date have stated that the pickup truck was in the wrong lane at the time of the collision. Final blood tests on both drivers will go a long way toward establishing negligence and liability.

Also, media accounts of the accident make no mention of any evidence tending to prove that the dead woman was in any way at fault for the accident, thereby removing any question of comparative fault from the damage calculation.

Matthew D. Dubin

Matt Dubin has spent more than 20 years honing his skills as one of the top personal injury lawyers in the State of Washington. In his career, Matt has focused on protecting consumers from dangerous household products, medical mistakes, roadway accidents, and many other causes of injury. Matt has recovered nearly $20 million on behalf of his clients.

Education

• University of Washington School of Law, Seattle, Washington – J.D.
• Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut – B.A.

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