Yakima, Washington – Driver with Minor Injuries after Crashing into Pole at West Lincoln Avenue

Yakima, Washington (January 17, 2020) – A driver sustained minor injuries after colliding with a power pole on the 200 block of West Lincoln Avenue on Friday morning. According to the report from KIMA News, the driver was not taken to the hospital. No other vehicles appear to be involved in the crash and no other injuries have been reported.

According tot he Yakima Police Department, the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel, resulting in the crash. The crash caused a power outage around 7:30 a.m. and affected 201 customers. The crash also caused West Lincoln Avenue to be temporarily closed closed between North 20th Avenue and North 24th Avenue.

About Vehicle Accidents

According to facts from the Insurance Institute Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute, about 20% of vehicle crash deaths are from striking a fixed object along the side of the road. The top three fixed objects that are struck in these cases are traffic barriers, trees, and similar to this case, utility poles. As for the causes of crashing into these objects, the case is generally that of driver error. Some of the top contributing factors are alcohol, driving under excessive speed, falling asleep or simply driver inattention. Additionally, a car crash caused by another vehicle can cause another vehicle to crash into another fixed object. Some situational factors are road conditions, weather, and poor visibility. In relation to poor visibility, almost half of the fatalities in crashes involving fixed objects are said to have occurred at night. While there are options such as placing breakaway or shielding objects along roads, or increasing the visibility of such fixed objects, the best solution is often to remove the fixed object if possible.

Regardless of the type of vehicle accident, the best way to solve a car accident is to try and prevent it. We urge all drivers to follow traffic regulations on the road. This includes following road safety, making sure one’s vehicle is stable and ready for the road, and making sure that one is not under the influence of drugs or alcohol before getting behind the wheel. Additionally, one should take extra caution on roads where there are possible hazards. In doing these steps, we can ensure our chances of avoiding any loss, damage, death or injuries while on the street.

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