Clinton, Washington – Two People Injured After Car Crashes Into Tree Off Cultus Bay Road

Clinton, Washington (February 19, 2020) – Two people were injured when a car crashed into a tree off Cultus Bay Road on Wednesday afternoon. According to the article from the South Whidbey Record, the driver, 24 year-old Steve Poolman from Bellingham, was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, and was reported to be in critical condition in the ICU as of Thursday evening. A 4 year-old passenger in the vehicle sustained minor injuries and was taken to Whidbey Health Medical Center. No other vehicles were involved and no other injuries were reported.

According to information from the Washington State Patrol, Poolman’s vehicle left the roadway south of the intersection with French Road. This cause the vehicle to crash into a tree, which was reported just before 4 p.m. The State Patrol determined speed to be the cause of the accident. The crash caused Cultus Bay Road to be closed from Glendale Road to French Road while investigation was ongoing.

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, utility poles, and similar to this case, trees. 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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