Chimacum, Washington – Man Dies in Single-Vehicle Crash on Highway 104 at Center Road

Chimacum, Washington (November 21, 2019) – A man from Poulsbo died from injuries sustained in a car crash at State Route 104 at Center Road on early Thursday morning. Response crews foudn the man and took him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His name is being withheld pending notification of his relatives. No other vehicles appear to be involved in the crash.

Troopers from the Washington State Patrol responded to the scene around 4:45 a.m. Crews found a wrecked minivan off the highway. According to preliminary investigation, the man was heading east on Highway 104 when his vehicle veered off the roadway to the left, causing the minivan to crash into the guardrail. The impact caused the minivan to vault over Center Road, and the vehicle ended up on the embankment. The cause of the crash is yet to be determined, and it is unknown if drugs or alcohol were involved in the incident.

About Vehicle Accidents

According to facts from the Insurance Institute Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute, about 20% of vehicle crash deaths are from striking a fixed object along the side of the road. The top three fixed objects that are struck in these cases are utility poles, trees, and similar to this case, traffic barriers. As for the causes of crashing into these objects, the case is generally that of driver error. Some of the top contributing factors are alcohol, driving under excessive speed, falling asleep or simply driver inattention. Additionally, a car crash caused by another vehicle can cause another vehicle to crash into another fixed object. Some situational factors are road conditions, weather, and poor visibility. In relation to poor visibility, almost half of the fatalities in crashes involving fixed objects are said to have occurred at night. While there are options such as placing breakaway or shielding objects along roads, or increasing the visibility of such fixed objects, the best solution is often to remove the fixed object if possible.

Regardless of the type of vehicle accident, the best way to solve a car accident is to try and prevent it. We urge all drivers to follow traffic regulations on the road. This includes following road safety, making sure one’s vehicle is stable and ready for the road, and making sure that one is not under the influence of drugs or alcohol before getting behind the wheel. Additionally, one should take extra caution on roads where there are possible hazards. In doing these steps, we can ensure our chances of avoiding any loss, damage, death or injuries while on the street.

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