A two-vehicle collision that occurred on Oct. 12 in Washington on US-101 left four individuals injured. According to the report, the truck accident was believed to have been caused by an intoxicated driver.
Police stated that the crash occurred when a 59-year-old man driving a pickup collided head-on with a sedan as the man drove around a line of vehicles that was waiting at a traffic light. Rescue workers who arrived at the scene took the injured sedan occupants, the driver and two passengers, ages 35 and 11, as well as a 14-year-old passenger in the pickup, to Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles for treatment. The report did not disclose the nature of the victims’ injuries. The pickup truck driver was unhurt in the crash, as reported. The accident caused traffic delays for over two hours.
Authorities stated that the truck driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Following the incident, the suspect was arrested and placed in the Clallam County jail after undergoing booking procedures. He has been charged with vehicular assault and is awaiting the results of the police investigation.
Following a drunk driving accident, the potential for catastrophic, life-threatening auto injuries to anyone involved is great. Washington residents who have experienced similar situations may be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit. A Washington attorney who handles these types of lawsuits may be able to determine if there is evidence to support a client’s claim of negligence. By using police reports and witness accounts, the attorney representing the injured party may be able to hold the alleged negligent driver liable for damages stemming from the crash. If the driver pleaded guilty to driving charges in a criminal case, the attorney might be able to employ those charges to strengthen the case.
Source: KOMO, “4 hurt in head-on crash in Sequim, DUI suspected”, October 12, 2014