Oak Harbor, Washington – One Man Seriously Injured in Single-Vehicle Crash

Oak Harbor, Washington (February 23, 2020) – One man was seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash that occurred at the intersection at Monkey Hill Road and West Troxell Road. According to the article from Whidbey News-Times, the driver, 45 year-old Mark Strait from Arlington was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. As of Monday morning Strait was reported to be in serious condition in the ICU. No other vehicles were involved and no other injuries were reported in the incident.

According to information from the Washington State Patrol Strait was driving on Monkey Hill Road when the vehicle left the roadway at Troxell Road. The car ended up traveling across a field and crashing into a fence. The crash was reported around 10:49 a.m. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

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 traffic barriers, utility poles, and trees. 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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