By Pendergast Law on October 2, 2012
A wrong-way driver on Highway 520 recently posed the risk for a serious or even fatal car accident – until a Washington State Patrol trooper placed his own car directly in the driver’s path to prevent another crash.
The trooper had been dispatched to Highway 520 to help two drivers who had collided with one another while trying to avoid the wrong-way driver, who was heading west down the eastbound lanes of the highway. As the trooper approached the scene, he saw the wrong-way driver coming and realized that he would soon be boxed in and unable to avoid crashing with the wrong-way vehicle. Instead of moving, however, the trooper engineered a collision with the other vehicle, stopping it and preventing more Washington highway accidents and injuries.
The driver of the wrong-way vehicle then left his car and tried to leave on foot, but he fell while jumping over a barrier on the highway, according to investigators. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment of the injuries he suffered in the crash and the fall. Investigators believe the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time. The trooper was also injured, but he expects to return to duty soon.
Wrong-way accidents are unusual, but they are some of the most frightening and dangerous accidents on the road, especially on highways where cars often travel at high speeds. If you’ve been injured in a car crash, please don’t hesitate to call the skilled Seattle head-on collision injury lawyers at Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S., for a free consultation. Our number is 888-539-9211.