Burlington, Washinton – Car Chase Causes a Crash, Two Injured

Burlington, Washinton (April13, 2019) – On Saturday noon in the area of South Burlington Boulevard, a suspect driving away from police dragged one officer along for 30 feet, and injured another person when they crashed into each other at a red light. The victims, a 78 year-old woman and the 31 year-old officer were both transported to Skagit Valley Hospital.  There has been no information regarding the severity of their injuries.

The officer first contacted the suspect, a 29 year-old woman in a pickup truck, at 900 block of South Burlington Boulevard. She reportedly had warrants for arrest. When the officer tried to take her into custody, she drove away and dragged the officer on the ground for about 30 feet. Responding police attempted to stop the truck, which continued to accelerate until it ran the red light and hit another car with two passengers inside. While the officers tried to give aid to the passengers, the suspect fled. Police later found and impounded her vehicle. On Sunday, the suspect was taken into custody and booked into Skagit County Community Justice Center.

About Vehicle Accidents

We give our sympathies for the victims of this case. While the circumstances of this incident are a little unusual, it still shows the dangers of reckless driving. In 2017, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)  have reported a total of 120, 993 car accidents. Of those accidents, 525 were fatal and 34, 311 were possible or suspected of injuries. There are several types of collision that may happen, such as side collision, rollover collision, and head-on collision. Of the types of car accidents, head-on collisions are considered the most dangerous due to the circumstances – two cars are heading towards each other, with a great amount of force being experienced by all parties when the impact happens. While only 2% of car accidents are head-on collisions, they account for more than 10% of car-accident related injuries. These injuries are quite dangerous as most of them are head, spine or neck-related, including spinal injuries, brain injuries, paralysis, broken bones, and whiplash. Similarly, victims of side collisions and rollover collisions also suffer may also suffer head and neck injuries, though the risk is lower in these types of collisions. In rollover collisions, the car will come to rest on its side or roof, resulting in a dangerous situation which passengers might need to be extricated from. In side collisions, the greatest risk comes to the passenger on the particular side that received the impact. No matter the type of accident, all crashes are bound to cause a dreadful situation for all involved.

We urge all driver to remain cautious on the streets. Vehicle accidents of any type can result in loss, damage, injuries and death not only to the driver, but to passengers, occupants of other vehicles, and pedestrians on the street. If you have been a victim of a similar accident, do not hesitate to reach out for aid.

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