South Hill, Washington – Stolen Car Crashed with Child Inside

South Hill, Washington (April 24, 2019) – The stolen car of a man from South Hill was reported to have crashed in a nearby Walgreens at Meridian East, with the owner’s daughter still in the back seat. She was reported to be uninjured and was reunited with her father.

According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, the car was stolen while the man was going into his home to fetch another child. When he went outside, the car was already gone. The man then called 911 at 6:56 a.m., and around the same time, police receive a report that a car the same model as the man’s had crashed in a Walgreens and that a child was inside. The incident had only lasted for a few minutes. From the photos, the car appears to have struck one of the light posts in the parking lot.

Despite searching the area with a helicopter and K-9, police have not found a suspect However, a witness had reported a man running away from the crash site, and the surveillance videos of nearby businesses are going to be checked.

About Vehicle Accidents

It is fortunate that no one was injured in this incident. Victims of car crashes are not always lucky – 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 trees, traffic barriers, and similar to this case, utility poles. 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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