Seattle, Washington – Truck Rolls Back Hill, Strikes Guardrail

Seattle, Washington (August 4, 2019) – A box truck collided with a guardrail after rolling back a hill on Boston Street East at Harvard Avenue East. Fortunately, the truck stopped in time and did not fall into the lanes of the Interstate 5 below. No one was injured in the incident.

The crash happened around 3 p.m. The truck was eastbound on Boston Street East when it rolled backwards, eventually crashing into guardrail. While the wheels of the truck remained on the street, the cargo area was left hanging over the edge until the vehicle was safely pulled away. Two right lanes of the freeway were closed as the truck was being towed away. The cause of the accident is under investigation.

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 utility poles, trees, and similar to this case, traffic barriers. 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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