Possibly IMpaired Driver Causes Vehicle Submersion
Unfortunately, on Saturday, November 16th of 2024, an accident happened at Lake Washington at the Be-er Sheva Park boat launch in the 9000 block of Seward Park Ave S. A 20-year-old woman was parked at the Atlantic City Boat Ramp with her 17-year-old passenger. The driver crashed, and the vehicle rolled into the lake. Further details about what caused the crash have not been released at this time.
The driver was able to get out of the submerged car through the window. The passenger followed after. Although both people were able to get out of the car, the younger of the two wasn’t able to swim to shore. Shortly before six in the afternoon, the Seattle Fire Department received reports of a car in the water. They quickly arrived at the scene, and officers and paramedics found the driver on the shore in stable condition. She was able to tell officials that the girl was still in the water. She was later taken to the hospital. SFD estimated that the vehicle was located about 30-40 feet from the shore.
The Seattle Fire Department and Seattle Police Department’s Harbor Patrol crews worked together to find the unaccounted-for person. An all-out search began involving four rescue swimmers, two rescue watercraft, four divers, and more. Two aerial ladders with lights were raised over the boat launch to help with the search. Eventually, one of the rescue swimmers located the missing girl in the water and brought her back to shore. She was unresponsive and in critical condition when they found her. Paramedics started performing CPR, and she was taken to Harborview Medical Center for treatment.
The Traffic Collision Investigation Squad and Seattle Police Department investigated the incident to determine what happened. Few details besides what has been laid out here have been released to the public, except the accident was caused by “operator error.” However, the woman that was driving was arrested at the scene for vehicular assault and negligence. Her passenger almost died because of her driving into the lake. She was showing signs of impairment when authorities arrived, although it is unclear whether she was under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or both. The victim is still in critical condition at the hospital as of the most recent update.
You probably have seen a vehicle submersion accident in movies or tv shows before, but they are very real. These accidents are highly traumatic to the victims if they survive them. Most victims survive the crash into the water with few injuries but then become trapped in their car and nearly drown or even die. Vehicle submersion accidents are the most deadly type of accident involving one vehicle, and they account for 11 percent of all drowning cases in America. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 300 people across the country die in submersion crashes annually. States with a high number of drainage ditches, lakes, and ponds are more likely to have vehicle submersion accidents. Washington is one of those states because of our wet and rainy climate.
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It’s important for people to be prepared in the event that they end up getting into a submerged vehicle accident. It only takes a couple of minutes for a vehicle to fill up with water, and what a victim does during that time is key to their survival. If the victim is injured and/or shocked, it can complicate matters. A couple of seconds during a crisis situation could make the difference between life and death. Read further to learn about what to do if you find yourself in a submerged vehicle.
Because of shortages, window switches often don’t work in submerged cars. Doors can be impossible to open because of the water pressure outside the vehicle. Most cars are lacking measures intended to improve survivability in submerged vehicle accidents, such as protection for electronic components and submersion sensors. Poor highway design can contribute to accidents where vehicles drive into the water, such as unmaintained or missing guardrails. Without guardrails, it’s easier for drivers to drive into bodies of water. At nighttime, there may be poor visibility near bodies of water that could result in tragic accidents.
To prepare for a potential submerged vehicle accident, you should keep a tool in your car that you can use to escape. It’s likely that if your car is submerged, you won’t be able to open the windows or doors, so the tool should be capable of breaking glass. There are specialized tools designed to help people escape submerged vehicles and save lives. Many of these tools don’t just break glass, but can also slice seatbelts. You should keep this tool in your car in a place that is easy to reach, like your glove box or cupholder. Although hopefully you’ll never have to use it, it’s smart to prepare and buy such a tool in advance.
There’s an easy acronym to help people remember the escape procedure if their vehicle goes into water: POGO. P is for pop seatbelts. Seatbelts should be released for the driver and all passengers. O is for open/break the windows so that passengers can escape. Do not attempt to break the windshield, because they are made of stronger laminated glass. Instead, break a side window, which are usually made of weaker tempered glass. G and O are for “get out.” Children should be helped out of the vehicle first, and then adults should come after. Either climb on top of the vehicle or swim to the shore if possible. If you are at an accident scene where a car went into the water, take a picture of where the car is to help first responders find the vehicle if it completely sinks before they get there.
Seattle Injury Law specializes in personal injury law, and has helped people in a wide variety of situations get compensation for their damages. If you were injured in a car accident caused by the fault of another, our personal injury attorneys are prepared to fight for you. Reach out to our firm as soon as possible so that we can get started on pursuing your case.
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