A fatal SUV accident on U.S. 2 claimed the life of a Monroe man Friday night at E. Fern Bluff Road. This is a dangerous road that residents have asked the state to improve.
Washington State Patrol trooper Keith Leary said the 32 year old man was driving westbound on the highway when his car crossed the centerline and crashed into an SUV and then into a pickup in the highway’s eastbound lane.
The 60 year old driver of the pickup suffered neck injuries and was transported to Valley General Hospital in Monroe, Leary said. The three people in the SUV were not injured.
“It could’ve been a lot worse,” he said.
The Monroe man was died at the scene. State accident data shows that his death marked the 50th death since 1999 in crashes along U.S. 2 between Snohomish and Stevens Pass. Among all the fatal auto accidents in Washington along this stretch, 18 occurred in crossover collisions.
According to www.Herald.net, proponents of U.S. 2 safety improvements consider that intersection particularly dangerous because there have been other fatal accidents there, said Ray Coleman, a member of the U.S. 2 Safety Coalition. The grass-roots group of local residents and officials has discussed closing the intersection and installing a concrete median barrier to prevent crossover crashes.
The state Department of Transportation says that overall safety improvements along U.S. 2 are estimated to cost more than $2 billion.
The highway’s safety problems prompted Gov. Chris Gregoire to declare U.S. 2 as a safety corridor. Local residents have worked with officials to promote safety along the narrow, winding road between Everett and Stevens Pass.
At Bernard Law Group, we handle personal injury lawsuits that are the results of auto accidents in Washington State every day. Call our attorneys at 1-800-418-8282. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you are seriously injured in an accident, or someone you know is injured or possibly even killed, call the Seattle personal injury attorneys at Bernard Law Group, 1-800-418-8282. We can help you immediately. All e-mail and form submissions will be responded to by a qualified and knowledgeable member of our firm within 24 hours. Call our toll-free number 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and we promise to respond immediately