Car Accident Lawyer in Seattle, Washington.
Early in the morning of Monday, October 30th, 2023, a tragic fatal accident happened on Mercer Island. Three people were killed in the wrong-way accident, which involved two cars. Unfortunately, wrong-way accidents have become more common in Washington State recently. This particular accident happened on Interstate 90, just past Island Crest Way. At just past midnight on Monday morning, a driver was driving the wrong way, heading west in the eastbound lanes of I-90. The 30-year-old Seattle man hit the victim’s car directly head-on at a high speed.
A witness of the accident, Christopher Yang, saw the wrong-way driver shortly before the accident happened. Yang was driving east on I-90 to get some food late at night, and he saw the driver in the far left lane (the high-occupancy-vehicle lane) very close to where Yang was. When the sedan zoomed past him, he knew that the speed at which the driver was going was lethal. Yang estimates that the man was driving over 90 miles an hour, far above the legal limit for the interstate.
At that point, Christopher Yang called 911. He alerted the authorities of the wrong-way driver, hoping that they could do something about the situation before someone got hurt. He was concerned because he knew there were drivers behind him who could be in danger from the wrong-way driver. Yang picked up his food and got back on the interstate less than five minutes later. When he saw first responders as he drove back the other way, he felt his heart sink. He knew right away that something tragic must have occurred. He recorded the grisly scene on his phone. There was smoke and police lights, two mangled cars, and chunks of metal and glass strewn about. The accident scene was chaotic and messy.
Car Crash Law Firm
The wrong-way driver died, as well as the two people in the second car that he crashed into. The driver of the other car was a 22-year-old man from Bellevue, and his passenger was a 23-year-old individual from Berkeley, California. All three people involved in the accident died in the catastrophic accident, according to Washington State Patrol Trooper Rick Johnson. They were declared deceased at the scene and were not transported to a hospital.
All of the eastbound lanes of I-90 were blocked off for several hours. This was so that an investigation into what happened could take place. This also allowed for cleanup to happen so that the road could be safe for traffic later. One of the cars involved in the crash was towed away, but the second car stayed at the scene for longer. Photos and other forms of documentation were taken. At about 5:30 in the morning on the 30th, all of the eastbound lanes were opened up again.
Investigators have not yet stated the factors that caused the accident. Speed is certainly one of the factors, but it is possible that the at-fault driver was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and impaired at the time of the crash. The driver may have had a medical emergency or was disoriented. The question of what caused the accident is one that Washington State troopers are working on solving. All of the I-90 ramps have very obvious, glaring wrong-way signs, so that is not to blame. There are large signs on at least two of the exit ramps to the east of where the crash happened.
Wrongful Death Attorneys
Details about the accident, as well as the identities of the victims, will be revealed as the investigation progresses and the family is notified.
In recent years, there has been a concerning rise in the amount of accidents in Seattle caused by wrong-way drivers. If you have been following Seattle Injury Law’s blog, you’ll recognize that this type of accident happens frequently. Many of these accidents have caused serious injury or death. Because of the opposing forces involved in a wrong-way crash, they can easily cause terrible outcomes for victims. An accident such as a pedestrian accident usually just causes harm to the victim, while wrong-way accidents hurt the victims and at-fault drivers alike. Seattle Injury Law has helped many car accident injury victims get compensation for their injuries.
Obviously, wrong-way drivers pose a huge risk to everyone on the road, so it’s important to know what’s causing this type of accident. The biggest cause of wrong-way accidents is when a driver goes the wrong way onto an exit ramp. This leads to them driving in the opposite direction on the freeway’s main lanes. Over half of wrong-way accidents involved a driver who was drinking while driving or under the influence of a drug. Drunk drivers don’t have fast reaction times, have impaired thinking, and might not realize that they are driving in the wrong direction. If they do know that they’re going the wrong way, they might have false confidence in their ability to avoid traffic or be too reckless to care. Wrong-way crashes mostly happen in urban areas, during hours when it’s dark outside, especially early in the morning.
If you lost somebody in a wrongful death car accident or you or a loved one was injured in a car accident caused by someone else, reach out to Seattle Injury Law. Our expert personal injury attorneys have helped many people recover damages in personal injury claims. It’s important that your car accident injury attorney has extensive experience. Our attorneys know how to avoid the roadblocks that insurance companies will try to put up. They want to avoid giving you the compensation you are entitled to, but we will fight to get you every cent you are owed. We don’t just recover damages for medical expenses but also for lost wages, future expenses, pain and suffering, and more. Get in touch with Seattle Injury Law as soon as possible so that we can start building up your case. It’s your right to be compensated for injuries caused by a reckless or negligent driver. Don’t just accept the low amount the insurance company initially offers you- Seattle Injury Law will fight for you and your future.
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