Graham, Washington – One Person Dead, One Injured in Car-Truck Collision at Orting-Kapowsin Highway East

Graham, Washington (November 22, 2019) – One person died and another was injured in a collision involving a box truck and a car on the 25200 block of Orting Kapowsin Highway East on Friday morning. The male driver of the car was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the box truck was treated for undisclosed injuries.

Crews responded to the scene around 6:30 a.m. after receiving reports of a serious crash. The circumstances of the incident are being investigated by the Pierce County’s Sheriff’s Office. The incident closed down the highway while investigation was ongoing.

About Vehicle Accidents

We offer our sympathies and compassion to the friends and loved ones of the victim. Unfortunately, this is not the only time an accident has resulted in a fatality. In 2017, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)  have reported a total of 120, 993 car accidents. Of those accidents, 525 were fatal ad 34, 311 were possible or suspected of injuries. On the other hand, the state of Washington’s  2015 Annual Collision Data Summary reported that 6,091 commercial vehicle or heavy trucks were involved in collisions in 2015. These crashes included 38 fatal collisions, 85 serious injury collisions, 1,352 minor injury collisions, 4,565 property damage collisions, and 51 unknown injury collisions.

Give the size and build difference between cars and trucks, collisions between the two often result in dangerous situations. Specifically, trucks can weigh 20-30 times more than passenger cars, and their height and greater ground clearance can cause smaller vehicles to be more easily toppled in car-truck accidents. Consequently, studies have proven that most deaths in large truck accidents are passenger vehicle occupants, who are more vulnerable in case of collision. However, in a 2013 study, most car-truck accidents are often caused by car drivers, with relation to driver errors. Regardless of which vehicle you are driving, one must always exercise caution on the road. With both cars and trucks, drivers must be responsible for making sure their vehicle is in a good condition and not prone to vehicle failure, and to always consider the road and weather conditions.

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