Elma, Washington – Woman Injured After Falling Asleep at the Wheel and Crashing her Vehicle

Elma, Washington (September 7, 2019) – A woman sustained injuries in a car crash at State Route 8 on Saturday morning. The victim was said to be a 25 year-old woman from Montesano, and she has been taken to Summit Pacific Hospital in Elma for treatment. There has been no further word regarding her condition. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.

According to the report from the Washington State Patrol, the accident happened around 10 a.m. three miles east of Elma. The woman feel asleep, causing her car to drive off the road and hit some bushes and trees. Drugs or alcohol were possibly involved in the crash.

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 similar to this case, 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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