A mother was driving with her 4-year-old daughter in the back seat of a sport utility vehicle when another vehicle struck them. Both the mother and her daughter suffered injuries in the accident. The 4-year-old required helicopter transportation, and the mother was taken by ambulance to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
According to authorities, their preliminary investigation revealed that a Subaru was traveling northbound on Highway 169. The mother and her daughter’s SUV was also traveling northbound along Highway 169. That’s when the SUV slowed down to turn left. A dump truck was stopped on 383rd Street at the time, waiting to enter Highway 169.
The Subaru driver told police that she was watching the dump truck, which distracted her from seeing the SUV slow down in traffic. She ultimately crashed into the back of the SUV due to her failure to notice its change in velocity.
As authorities and police investigators tended to the accident scene, it was necessary to close down the roadway and advise drivers to bypass the area. After initial investigations, police investigators did not believe that drugs or alcohol were the cause of this tragic vehicle collision.
Accidents caused by distracted driving are more common than ever in Washington state right now. For this reason, those who have been injured by motorists who claim they “didn’t see them” may want to investigate why.
Was the driver distracted due to negligence? Was the driver unlawfully using a smartphone or portable electronic device while operating a vehicle? If injured parties can prove negligence in court, they may be able to recoup financial compensation for their injuries.
Source: KomonoNews.com, “4-year-old airlifted, mom injured as cars collide near Enumclaw,” accessed Nov. 03, 2017
