Police are not sure why the 62-year-old woman veered off the road, and don’t believe alcohol was involved.  The investigation is continuing.

So what happens when there’s a car accident and no one is hurt but property is damaged or destroyed?  Well, first of all, we can be very thankful.  But beyond that, someone has to pay for the property damage.  The home was probably insured.  But there would also be property damage insurance on the lady’s car, which will most likely pay up to its limit.  But that limit is generally too low to pay for the destruction of a house.  Most of us carry property damage insurance of 50K or maybe 100K, but rarely higher, because we never figure on destroying a house.  But, of course, it happens occasionally.

This is one where the insurance companies will probably work it out directly, and attorneys may not get involved.  Most cases where car accident lawyers are called in are because of personal injuries.  If you have or someone you know has been hurt in a car accident, be sure to consult with a personal injury attorney here in Washington State and learn your rights.  Most give a free consultation, with no obligation, so what do you have to lose?

The couple ultimately exited at NE 130^th, and headed for the city streets, where they abandoned their car a few blocks away and fled on foot.  Both were arrested.  Police are seeking a warrant to search the car for drugs.  You suppose?

What a classic case of driving under the influence of stupid!  Maybe under the influence of drugs, too, I don’t know.  But when people have something to hide, they do strange things.  I’m just glad no one was hurt in this bizarre situation.

It’s not clear to me why the woman passenger was arrested, though possibly because she also fled on foot.  Unless drugs are found in the car, she apparently did nothing wrong.  But I hope they throw the book at the driver, especially if it’s also drug-related.  The fewer such drivers we have on our highways, the better, in my opinion.

When they arrived at the scene, police could not find the driver, dead or alive.  After searching, though, they found him—about a football field away!  Amazingly, he was alive and conscious.  They don’t know if he ejected before the crash, or how he survived.  The extent of his injuries is also not known.

Although I’m concerned about this man, and hope he recovers quickly, I also pray that this will be a sobering wake-up call to him and to others who choose to drink and drive.  I’m grateful he didn’t hurt or kill someone else, as is often the case. 

Washington State has one of the worst records for alcohol-related car accident fatalities.  The legislature recently increased the sentencing range for drivers convicted of DWI in fatality accidents.  But it’s still too low, in my book.  A drunk driver who kills someone can get 6-8 years.  Excuse me?  I recently read where a man charged with selling fake copies of Microsoft Office might get 20 years in jail.  Something’s majorly wrong with this picture!  We’re treating software piracy, which admittedly is serious, as a whole lot worse than killing someone?

Unfortunately, our society, especially here in Washington State, is not taking the steps needed to greatly reduce this public health menace.  But you can take action if someone you know has been killed by a drunk driver, or you or someone you love has been injured because of a DWI crash, contact the law office of John Darrow and let him help you obtain appropriate compensation.

But what caught my eye and astounded me, was a car that was zipping along faster than most traffic, which came up beside the truck, and then darted in front of it, thus cutting the distance between vehicles down to two car lengths or less!  And they traveled that way for close to half a mile.  I shuddered.  From my experience as a car accident attorney, as well as from my general understanding of physics, I knew that if the front car had to stop for any reason, or even slow quickly, the driver who had just cut in on the truck was dead meat.  If ever there was an example of someone driving under the influence of stupid, this was it.

What was he thinking?  Certainly not about the deadly car accident that could have happened and which would almost assuredly have snuffed out his life.  He certainly was in a hurry to get somewhere, but probably also wanted out from behind the semi.  On that point, I don’t blame him.  But to put yourself directly in the path of a 40-ton rig, just 25 feet behind you, doing 65 on a wet road, is insane!  Unless, of course, you have a strong death wish.

I hope and pray I can help others learn to avoid such obvious risks.  Sure, I don’t like being behind a semi.  But if there’s an accident, it’s far better to be behind one than in front of one.  So I don’t pull in front of one unless I can leave plenty of space between him and me.  See my post on avoiding car-truck accidents by not being in a hurry to pass that semi.  Safe driving to you.

I do feel for this young woman, who tragically lost three of her friends that night, and now faces significant jail time.  Yet, for the good of society and to further the safety of others on the highways of Washington State, I hope she gets the maximum sentence.  Our legislature has recently lengthened the sentencing range for car accident fatalities caused by drunk drivers,  to 6-8 years, up from the previous 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 years.  I don’t know if the new sentencing range will apply in this case, though.

Yes, I know she is young. But so were her victims.  Yes, I know eight years is a long time for her to be behind bars.  But it’s far shorter than the sentence meted out to the parents and other loved ones of those who died, for they will suffer a lifetime of grief and heartache.

A tough sentence will help send the strong message that our society is fed up with DWI drivers, and we must cut down on the carnage.  After all, Washington State has one of the worst records in the nation for drunk driving fatality accidents.  Until people realize how deadly serious (pun intended) this situation is, we are not going to see the grisly statistics reduced.

I’ve written a number of times about careless car drivers not noticing motorcyclists, bicyclists and pedestrians, and causing often-fatal car accidents.  The victim is usually the biker or pedestrian, of course.  But this unfortunate story helps to provide some balance.  The car and truck drivers aren’t always the ones at fault.  Most bikers understand and live by the fact that they have to be very careful and look out for themselves.  But a few, unfortunately, take needless chances.  Like the biker I saw near my home yesterday, probably going 80 or more on a country road.  I hope and pray he wises up before it’s too late. 

So, to car drivers I say, pay more attention to the little people who share the road with us—bikes, motorcycles, and pedestrians.  But to bikers, I say, use some common sense.  Always wear a helmet (The guy in Skagit County was wearing one.), and slow down so you can stop in an emergency situation.  Don’t zig-zag in and out of other traffic with little room to spare.  Obey the traffic laws.  And by all means, don’t drive under the influence of stupid.  

Enjoy the road and the fresh air.  Just keep safe!

Black ice is deadly, folks!  Keeping that in mind when we have cold temperatures could keep you out of an accident.   Allow yourself more time, and leave more space between you and the next car.  Expect the unexpected.  Just because black ice catches us by surprise doesn’t relieve us from liability if we spin out and cause a car accident.  The law recognizes situations where a “sudden, unexpected emergency” leads to an accident, but those situations are rare.  Such as a heart attack while driving, or a rogue tire bouncing toward your windshield.  Black ice is reasonably foreseeable, and won’t get you off the hook.

If you’ve been in an accident caused by someone else who spun out on black ice, it won’t get them off the hook, either.  Their insurance will have to pay.  And a good car accident lawyer can help you get the best resolution to your personal injury claim.  Most give a free consultation, so you have nothing to lose by consulting a lawyer about your case.

I say, “Bravo!”  I wish the sentencing range were even longer, but this is a great step in the right direction.  Far too many people die in DWI car accidents in Washington State every year.  (The number has declined significantly in the last two decades, due to stricter enforcement, more public awareness and a change of attitudes.  But it is still over 200 every year.  And that doesn’t include the many thousands who are injured in this senseless carnage.)  Washington State still has one of the highest DWI car accident fatality rates in the nation.   The number must come down, and this bill will help accomplish that.

A related matter that I have been rethinking lately:  If Washington State legalizes marijuana, will that cause a significant increase in car accident fatalities?  It’s an important question that we will vote on this fall.  I’ll address that issue in a post in the near future.

I confess that I don’t yet know enough about this accident to say for sure that Metro and the bus driver are liable, though there’s a strong chance they are.  I do know the family needs to consult with a personal injury/wrongful death lawyer.  Most accident attorneys give a free consultation, so they have nothing to lose by checking with a Washington State lawyer to determine their rights. 

If Metro and the bus driver are at fault, the family needs an attorney experienced both in wrongful death claims and in dealing with bus companies.  And the attorney should be acquainted with probate matters, as a probate will need to be opened to deal with the wrongful death case.  John Darrow is experienced in all of these areas.  If you’ve been injured in a bus accident anywhere in Washington State, or your family wants to find out if they have a wrongful death case because of a tragic car, truck or bus accident, give him a call.  The call and the consultation are free, and without any obligation.

This is a big step in the right direction!  Late last year, a number of the county prosecutors in our state sought longer sentences in car accident fatality cases.   Thankfully, they got what they asked for.  Now we need to provide stiffer sentences for other DWI drivers, both those who cause car accidents and those who don’t.  If you read my posts very much, you know that I have urged tougher sanctions, better education, and societal attitude adjustments regarding drunk drivers and the accidents they cause.  It’s a scourge that, while we can’t totally eliminate it, we have the power to greatly reduce.  I applaud the legislature for this step in the right direction.