Mercer Island, Washington - Suspected DUI Driver Crashes Into Power Pole, Suffers Minor Injuries
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Mercer Island, Washington – Suspected DUI Driver Crashes Into Power Pole, Suffers Minor Injuries

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Posted on September 15, 2019

Mercer Island, Washington (September 13, 2019) – A car collided with a power pole in the area of 5400 block of East Mercer Way on early Friday morning, causing a power outage in the area. The car which caused the accident was later found 65 feet down a ravine. The driver, a 41 year-old woman from Seattle, was found trapped in her car with what appeared to be minor injuries. She was safely extricated by rescue crews.

Mercer Island Police officers were driving near the area when they detected the crash around 3:30 a.m. They found downed power lines and a power pole that had been sheared off at the base. After Puget Sound Energy workers confirmed that it was safe to investigate in the area, police conducted a search and found the crashed car in the ravine. The driver was rescued after two hours. She is believed to have been driving under the influence.

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, trees, 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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