A man was hit and killed walking on I-5 Saturday night in Everett. Shane Archey was kicked of the 510 Sound Transit bus from Seattle to Everett around 7 PM. He disembarked at the South Everett Freeway Station, about one more from where he eventually died. Walking south bound on I-5; Archey was struck by three vehicles. His family, who has been speaking with Kirotv.com, said that Archey has battled an addiction to pain medication for most of his life. It is not known if that played a factor in the accident, or what Archey was doing walking on the freeway in the first place. He was 40 years old.
This situation is tragic, and our thoughts go out to Shane Archey’s family in this difficult time. Hopefully, it can act as a reminder to others that pedestrian safety is just as serious as vehicle safety. Without the protection of a car, one mistake at the wrong time by a pedestrian can mean almost certain death. Almost as important as not getting behind the wheel drunk, you should not venture out near busy roads alone when you are intoxicated. Following all traffic laws and signals is also extremely important, especially at night. Don’t rely on these signals completely, though, sometimes just being alert out on the road can save your life. As a Seattle pedestrian accident attorney, I know how devastating and life changing these accidents can be, so stay safe however you travel.
In the last week, Seattle and surrounding areas were hit by two pedestrian accidents. One of the accidents involved a train in Auburn, while the other was a van in Seattle. It was Sunday when an 18-month-old little girl darted out from behind a parked car, into the path of a van putting out of an apartment complex. The Dodge van was driving out onto 43rd Avenue South when it struck the toddler. The girl was immediately taken to Harborview Medical Center, and was said to have serious injuries. Officers tested the diver for any signs of inebriation or alcohol and found none.
Later in the week, an unknown pedestrian was walking through an idle train in Auburn when another train hit and killed the victim. The accident occurred at about 6 PM on Tuesday evening. The Amtrak trains and pedestrian traffic was temporarily delayed because of the incident. Pedestrians and drivers alike have responsibilities outside themselves when out on the road. Drivers are responsible for being alert and aware of the pedestrians around them, while pedestrians must follow all street signals and stay within crosswalks. We have to also pass along these safety lessons to our children as pedestrians, in the hopes that they will both stay safe and choose to keep others safe once they do get behind the wheel. Personal injury attorneys like me will tell you that it only takes one moment of carelessness or inattention to change a life forever.
A Honda ended up in an empty house in Kent after a two car accident on Sunday. The two cars collided at the intersection of 240th Street and 100th Avenue Southeast at around 3:45 PM. The Jeep was rolled over, and the Honda involved was sent into the nearby home. Thankfully, the house was empty at the time. The Honda driver sustained minor injuries and was taken to the hospital. The other driver had no injuries. Investigators from the Kent Police are still determining the cause of the accident. It is lucky that no one was seriously injured in this accident—at a greater speed or with people in the house, who knows what could have happened.
There is unpredictability inherent in the act of driving, but there are things that you can do to protect yourself, your passengers and others on the road. There’s the obvious: don’t drink and drive, text and drive, or allow yourself to be otherwise distracted or impaired while you are behind the wheel. Just this much, if done by everyone, could reduce a huge percentage of deadly auto accidents. As a Seattle personal injury lawyer, too often I see how a behavior like texting and driving can be without consequences for a time so drivers think it is perfectly acceptable to continue. However, as soon as one mistake is made, those consequences become life changing. Do your part to keep the roads safe, and stay alert while driving.
A 25-year-old Kingston driver was killed in an accident early Friday morning. He was headed Northbound on Viking Way when he swerved to the right of the two-lane roadway. The car was spun ninety degrees and hit a small tree. It was then flipped over completely onto its top before coming to rest back on its wheels. Emergency crews responded to the accident, which took place near Poulsbo, at around 1:50 AM. They found that no other vehicles or persons had been involved in the crash, and immediately transported the driver to Harborview Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Investigators suspect that alcohol or drugs may have played a role in the crash.
The truth of what happened in this accident may never be fully known. What we do know, though, is that his family will never be the same again. Do everything you can to protect yourself and the families of those you are sharing the road with by making wise driving decisions. Never ever text and drive, and don’t drink and then get behind the wheel for any reason. You can’t predict what sort of situation you might be driving into, so it’s best to arm yourself by being as alert and focused as possible while driving. In my work as a Seattle accident attorney, often I have seen how one bad decision can affect many lives, so take the time to make sure your trip will be as safe as possible.
Personal injury attorneys, perhaps more than other people, see first-hand the way one simple decision can change a life or family forever. That is why Jason Epstein started Teens Against Distracted Driving (TADD), an organization that aims to educated young drivers about the dangers of distracted driving, and especially that of texting and driving. Jason will be appearing on Q13 Fox today to promote his non-profit organization and encourage all drivers to put down the phone when they get behind the wheel.
In June 2011 alone, over 196 billion texts were sent. It’s impossible to know but fair to assume that more than a few of those texts were sent or received by a driver behind the wheel of a car. As smartphones and other in-car technology becomes more readily available, so do the chances of a driver becoming distracted. New laws have been passed in many states to help prevent this, but the best way to prevent distracted driving is to show people directly how dangerous it can be—especially teen drivers. Jason has chosen to focus on reaching young drivers, and with good reason. 16% of all distracted driving crashes that included a fatality involved a driver under the age of 20. Habits are formed in those early driving years, and by teaching about how dangerous texting and driving is, Jason hopes to influence those behaviors for life. Jason, along with TADD, travels to schools around Washington State with this mission in mind. He asks students to pledge to never text and drive—and in return he gives them a bracelet as a reminder, and the mission to spread the word to their friends and peers.
According to sources at KIRO TV News, an officer from the Seattle Police Department was taken to Harborview Medical Center late Friday evening after being injured during a DUI arrest. Police reported that the perpetrator physically resisted arrest causing injury to the officer’s knee and right thumb. The department received a call around 10:50 p.m. Friday by the victim of the collision, which took place at Martin Luther King Junior Way South and South Orcas Street. After pursuing the 38-year-old man by car, the man fled the scene on foot. Once the officers were able to detain him, he was booked at King County Jail, and faces charges for hit-and-run collision, driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, first-degree negligent driving and obstruction of a police officer. As a Seattle personal injury attorney, I am strongly against drunk drivers. Driving while under the influence of any drug is incredibly reckless and dangerous.
Thousands of innocent people suffer at the expense of drunk drivers every year. Because these accidents can be devastating for victims and their families, it is important to take responsibility before driving if you have been drinking. Implementing a plan and designating a sober driver before going out can decrease the number of unnecessary dangerous accidents. While it has not been reported if the victim of the collision was injured, an officer did sustain injuries during the arrest, thus adding to the charges the perpetrator faces. In this instance, the charges could have been avoided had he chosen not to drive while under the influence.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident due to the negligence of another, contact an experienced Seattle personal injury attorney today to discuss your options. Driving under the influence can be extremely costly and even fatally dangerous for everyone involved. If you or someone you know have been the victim of a drunk driver, seek legal representation today to ensure that your rights are being represented and your personal injury does not become a medical or financial burden to you or your loved ones. For more information and a FREE CASE EVALUATION, contact me at Premier Law Group at (206) 285-1743.
As a Seattle auto wreck attorney, I am all too well aware of the long-lasting consequences that serious auto wrecks can have for the people involved. On Monday morning, a three car crash injured five people at the corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way and Graham Street in Seattle, according to KIRO news. A Honda Accord, a Toyota Yaris, and a Ford Taurus crashed; one of the cars rolled over, one person needed fire department rescue from the car, and two minors and three adults had to be taken to the hospital. One person was in critical condition, and the other four were in serious condition. The cause of the accident is not yet known.
These kinds of auto wrecks, whether they happen here in Seattle or in outlying communities like Lynnwood, are very scary, partly because of the risk of brain or spinal injuries. The unusual and heavy forces that act on people’s bodies during auto wrecks can cause very serious injuries that may result in medical bills mounting well into the future. Insurance companies, concerned with their own bottom line, sometimes try not to pay future medical bills that result from these injuries, claiming that they are unrelated. Fortunately, of the millions of car accidents that occur every year in the United States, most of them result only in property damage. However, there are still over a million traffic accidents each year that result in injuries, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a car accident that was caused by the negligence of another driver, you should speak with an experienced Lynnwood auto wreck attorney to discuss your options. I have helped countless families get back on their feet after terrible car crashes. From ensuring that insurance companies pay the fair value of medical and property damage claims, to recovering lost wages from time spent recovering from the accident, I can work with you to protect your rights. For more information and a FREE CASE EVALUATION call me at Premier Law Group at (206)285-1743.
Early Thursday an out-of-control SUV plowed into a house and burst into flames. Kirkland homeowner, Carol Miller, was asleep in her bedroom when the SUV came crashing in and burst into flames. According to sources at KOMO News, Kirkland firefighter, Mike Haschak, said the driver “lost control, plowed across the lawns of two homes, through a carport, fence and tree prior to slamming into the house”. Miller said, “The whole bed is on the ground and the walls on both sides are knocked down. It’s lucky nothing happened to me or my dogs”. Miller reportedly helped the occupants of the vehicle to safety. The driver and passenger, both in their 20′s, were rushed to Evergreen Medical Center to treat injuries. The cause of the accident is still unknown.
As a Washington auto accident lawyer I see many cases where individuals are seriously injured in accidents such as this one. It makes me pleased when I hear of an accident that doesn’t result in serious injury or death. Thousands of injuries and deaths occur every year in the United States as a result of auto accidents and the cost associated with negligent or reckless driving accidents can be considerable. It is important to be a safe and cautious driver.
Ms. Miller, her dogs, and the occupants of the SUV are all very fortunate to have stayed safe. The home has been red-flagged until inspectors area able to assess the damage and determine if it is still safe to occupy. Don’t let the negligence of another driver create a financial burden for your family. If you or a family member have been seriously injured in an auto accident, speak with a Washington auto accident lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your options. I have helped many families recover compensation to ensure that someone else’s negligence does not become a financial crisis. For more information and a FREE CONSULTATION call me today at Straight Talk Law at (206) 285-1742.
As a Seattle distracted driving collision lawyer, I hate to see stories about car accidents that seem to be the result of a driver that is not alert, or is inattentive. According to KOMO news, a young man crashed his vehicle through a fence and into the family pool at a house in Vancouver. The pool was covered, which kept the car from sinking. The man, who is in his 20′s, left the car and pool and began walking. He was eventually picked up by fire fighters from Clark County Fire and transported to the hospital. Clark County Fire did not say whether the man was injured. Also, it is not clear why he drove off the road in the first place. There does not appear to been any other passenger, and no one in the home was injured.
It does not appear that anyone was seriously injured in this accident, which is extremely lucky. The car could easily have crashed into the house itself, in which case this might have turned out quite differently. We don’t know the cause of this accident, but it certainly seems possible that the driver was distracted in some way when he left the road. Distraction.gov reports that over 5000 people were killed in distracted driving accidents in 2009, with nearly 450,000 injuries. With these kinds of numbers, accidents like this are happening here in Seattle as well as outlying communities like Bothell. The use of electronic devices while driving, including texting, talking on the phone and programming GPS devices, is considered to be among the leading causes of distracted driving. Of course, there are certainly plenty of other forms of distraction on the road. Distracted driving is a real problem, and the best solution I can think of is for every person to be sure that when they drive, they are awake and alert, and focused on the task at hand.
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a distracted driving accident, speak with a Bothell distracted driving collision lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your options. Injuries from car accidents sometimes can result in medical bills that extend well into the future. In some cases, insurance companies may try to avoid paying future medical bills, claiming that they are unrelated. Medical bills accumulated because of the negligence of another driver should never become a financial burden to you. I have helped countless families get back on their feet after dealing with serious car accidents. For more information and a FREE CONSULTATION call me at Premier Law Group at (206)285-1743.
As most people probably already know, the 520 bridge became the first toll road in Washington this year. The traffic on the bridge has scaled back significantly since the tolls went into force, while traffic on alternate routes across or around Lake Washington has increased. As a Seattle car accident lawyer, I know that when traffic increases, that can correlate to an increase in the number and the seriousness of traffic accidents. KOMO news reports that after less than a year in effect, the tolls on the 520 bridge will increase slightly in July. WSDOT has planned a 2.5% toll increase each year through 2015, so that this July, the peak toll will rise by 9 cents, with the lowest off-peak toll rising by 3 cents. When tolling began, about half of the traffic on the 520 bridge shifted to alternate routes, but bridge traffic has since gone back up. WSDOT reports that February bridge traffic is about 17% higher than expected, with slightly higher revenue as well. The revenue from the 520 tolls is slated to help pay for the cost of replacing the bridge itself.
It is good news for everyone who commutes around Lake Washington that some of the traffic is returning to the 520 bridge. The bridge itself is still a less congested, more direct route for those who make the tradeoff to pay the toll in order to save time. For those who would prefer the longer route, those roads have become slightly less congested as traffic begins to return to the bridge.
Of course, one of the downsides of increased congestion is the potential for more serious car accidents. At rush hour, whether morning or evening, there not only tend to be many cars out on the road, but in many cases the drivers may be distracted or inattentive due to sleepiness, stress, or just having their minds preoccupied by thoughts of work issues. I cannot stress enough the importance of trying to leave these issues for other times. Of course, you can’t just turn off stress, but while driving, our thoughts and attention need to be on the road. When minds wander, the road can become dangerous. If you or a family member have been seriously injured in a car accident, contact a Seattle car accident lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your options. I have helped many families as they return to normal life after serious car accident injuries, and can help ensure that your medical bills, both present and future, are covered as well as property damage and lost wages. For more information and a FREE CONSULTATION call me at Premier Law Group at (206)285-1743.
