Port Angeles Accident Injures Four

Out of the 103,000 police reported car accidents in Washington state in 2009, about 35 percent resulted in an injury of someone involved. Of these injuries, 2,241 were serious. Serious auto accidents occur far too often as a result of unsafe driving. Examples of unsafe driving practices that often lead to accidents are speeding, failing to give right of way, and following too closely. According to the Washington State Department of Transportation, 19,000 accidents were a result of unsafe driving in 2009 alone. Unsafe driving is a factor in far too many accidents, and as a Seattle car accident attorney and Kent personal injury lawyer, I make sure that the victims of these accidents get the justice they deserve.

After a car chased and rammed into a Subaru with four passengers on Thursday morning, causing it to hit a telephone pole, the driver that caused the accident escaped with an accomplice. That accomplice, Timothy Smith, 27, turned himself in to Port Angeles police at about 4 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. The driver of the black Mustang that caused the accident, identified as Michael Moyle, 28, chased down the red Subaru from a parking lot and rammed into it at about 11:20 a.m., causing the Subaru to hit a telephone pole. After the accident, Moyle’s car broke down and he was seen leaving an area close to the scene with Smith in his pickup truck. The driver of the Subaru said that he had no idea why the Mustang was chasing him and the Port Angeles Police Department has declared that it was an intentional assault. All four people in the Subaru were taken to the hospital, and one of the children was taken to Harborview with serious injuries.

This accident was likely not preventable by the Subaru, but many accidents are. By following the rules of the road, we can prevent a large number of accidents. Laws against activities such as drunk driving, distracted driving, and unsafe driving are there for a reason. There are three ways to make driving safer and lower your risk for an accident. First, you should remove all distractions and focus on keeping your hands on the wheel. Distractions cause far too many accidents each year and cause you to divert your attention away from the road for a few seconds that could be the difference between an accident and a near-miss. Next, you should always be aware of the cars and the road around you. Cars with extensive body damage can be a good sign of a reckless driver. Also, make sure to be aware of blind spots and intersections. Finally, by keeping your vehicle maintained and being aware of its limits you can lower your risk of accidents. Keep up to date on your car’s service checks and know the limitations of your vehicle. For example, if your car has bad brakes, you should get them fixed. Until you get them fixed, you should be aware that you may need extra room to stop the car, so you should start braking early. By doing these three things you can lower your risk of getting into an accident and being injured.

However, oftentimes negligent drivers cause accidents that are impossible to prevent, such as the one mentioned above. If you feel like the injuries you have sustained in an accident were caused by a negligent driver, give our experienced Seattle car accident attorneys a call today for a free consultation.

This information is provided by Straight Talk Law, where you can order free information on Seattle auto accidents, buying Washington car insurance, and other valuable legal information, offered as a public service by King county personal injury attorney and author Jason Epstein and his Seattle auto accident, Everett motorcycle accident, and Bellevue wrongful death law firm in Seattle, Washington.