A Seattle car accident claimed the life of a local police officer, news outlets have confirmed. According to the reports, the early Sunday crash took place on I-5 and it happened while an off-duty police officer stopped to assist troopers and victims of two accidents.
The five-year veteran Seattle police officer learned there had been two multi-vehicle collisions in the early hours of Sunday. At 1:18 a.m., the off-duty cop spotted the second accident and pulled over, walking out of her vehicle to assist troopers. She was then immediately struck and killed.
During a news conference discussing the horrific accident, an official with the Washington State Patrol stated that following her death, the man involved in the original multi-car crash stole her vehicle.
While the stolen vehicle was eventually recovered, officials are still looking for the man involved in the accident and theft, and are urging anyone with any knowledge of his whereabouts to reach out.
Too Many Officers Die In Similar Accidents, Official Statistics Show
In the United States, transportation accidents and violence are the most common factors behind fatal work injuries among police officers.
As personal injury attorneys in Seattle, we have seen many accident cases involving officials who were seriously and even fatally injured. Our hearts and thoughts are with the family of the Seattle officer who lost her life trying to aid her fellow troopers.
We urge all of our clients and readers to continue putting safety first.
Help to prevent similar accidents by following traffic rules and never engaging in behavior that might increase the risk of accidents such as distracted driving. Also, respect emergency signals and road closures following accidents. When tending to a crash, emergency personnel must have access to the scene of the accident and drivers must do their part to help.
For more on this crash, follow this link.
