A woman from Selah was involved in a car accident after she failed to pull over for a Washington State Patrol trooper who was heading to another collision.
The accident happened when the officer, who had his car’s sirens and lights on, could not avoid hitting the woman’s Ford Explorer while she was making a left turn onto Nagler Road. By law, drivers must pull over for patrol cars with emergency lights and sirens on, and yet, she didn’t. As a result, an investigation determined the woman caused the accident.
After the accident, the trooper became trapped in his vehicle. Officials required to extricate him as a result. Both the trooper and the woman suffered injuries, but not life-threatening.
The driver got a citation for failing to yield to an emergency vehicle.
Yield To Avoid An Accident: It’s The Law
While we’re glad this accident did not lead to serious injuries, we hope drivers will learn from it. Especially because knowing the law can help to prevent similar crashes.
As officials noted in this case, it was the woman’s duty to pull over for the patrol car. However, she failed to do so, putting both her life and the trooper’s life in serious danger. Drivers across Washington State should know this, especially because breaking the law will led to a citation.
Additionally, drivers must be, overall, more alert and focused.
Distracted driving became a serious problem to motorists across the state and country. This contributed to the increase in similar accidents, as drivers are too distracted by their phones to pay attention to the road. While we do not know why the driver in this particular accident failed to pull over, we do know that other crashes occur because drivers ignore the risks — and the law.
By following the law, you are not only protecting your fellow driver, you’re also protecting your wallet.
Prevent similar accidents by always following the rules.
