Pierce County, Washington – Woman Hospitalized After Colliding with Pole Off State Route 507

Pierce County, Washington (February 12, 2020) – A woman hospitalized after colliding with a pole off State Route 507 on Wednesday. According to the article from Nisqually Valley News, the driver, 24 year-old Theresa R. Pollard from Spanaway, was taken to Tacoma General Hospital just after midnight Wednesday for treatment of undisclosed injuries. Pollard was reported to be wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident. No other vehicles were involved in the crash and no other injuries were reported.

According to the information from the Washington State Patrol, Pollard was driving on State Route 507 near mile marker 41 when her vehicle left the roadway and ended up striking a utility pole. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, and it is unknown if drugs or alcohol were a factor. The crash caused the road to be blocked for an hour and a half.

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 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. As can be seen in this case, even though no injuries were reported damage to fixed objects can result in long road closures.

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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