Graham, Washington – Ambulance Collides With Elk on Highway

Graham, Washington (September 14, 2019) – An ambulance from Graham Fire and Rescue collided with an elk on the 2400 block of Orting Kapowsin County Road on early Saturday morning. Fortunately, the two firefighters inside the vehicle were not injured in the accident, though the ambulance sustained damage to the front. The elk, however, did not survive the encounter.

The incident happened around 4:30 a.m. The firefighters were responding to a medical call when they collided with the elk on the road. No other vehicles were involved in the accident.

About Vehicle Accidents

Because roads can cross so many types of environments, an encounter with wildlife is very possible, especially in rural areas. Animals can move very fast and come bursting out onto the road in an unpredictable manner, and as a result a vehicle crash is a very common outcome out of unplanned encounters.  Deer are common culprits for wildlife collisions, and because of their relatively big sizes, they can cause considerable impact. Domestic animals can also be a cause for accident if they get onto the road. Pet owners as well as owners of farm animals should take care not to let their animals wander onto roads.

Depending on the animal that the vehicle comes in contact with, the amount of damage done can be very high, and in some case big animals are known to break through the windshield of cars. Apart from damage to vehicles, collision with animals can also result in injuries such as cuts from broken glass and other blunt force injuries. Because of this, we would like to urge people to be more careful on the road, especially on roads that are known to intersect with the territory of wildlife. Drivers are warned to be especially cautious when driving on roads late at night, as animals are known to be active during this hour. Apart from the danger of colliding with an animal, there is also the danger of some drivers swerving to avoid collision and crashing their vehicles in the process. To this, drivers are recommended to brake if the animal is smaller, and to swerve if the animal is bigger and has a chance of crushing the vehicle should a collision occur.

[cta]