Stevens County, Washington – Car-Guardrail Crash Results In One Person Injured

Stevens County, Washington (March 5, 2020) –  One person was injured when a car crashed into a guardrail on State Route 292 on Thursday. According to the article from The Spokesman-Review, the single occupant of the vehicle was trapped in the crash when several feet of guardrail became entangled inside the car. Medical personnel on the scene were able to administer care to the patient before they were airlifted to Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center for treatment of critical but non-life-threatening injuries.

According to information from Stevens County Fire District 1 and the Washington State Patrol, the incident occurred 2 miles west of Loon Lake just before noon. Crews worked for 50 minutes to free the trapped victim. At one point, the airlift response was delayed due to a vehicle that went around the road block and got into the path of the helicopter’s landing. The crash and airlift response caused the lanes of the highway to be shut down, but was partially reopened by 1:15 p.m.

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, however, guardrails prevent worse situations for cars that crashed.

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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