Employees in the Clark County Public Utilities were grief stricken by the death of a fellow employee in a three-vehicle traffic accident on Friday, Sept. 14. Police have not released any details about the accident, but the basic sequence of events is undisputed.
The Public Utilities worker, who was a water systems operator, was returning from a work site in Battle Ground at about 12:30 p.m. and was driving north on N.E. 82nd Avenue. A southbound SUV tried to pass a southbound pickup truck and pulled into the northbound lane to do so. The SUV collided with the county truck, and both vehicles struck the pickup truck. One of the vehicles was thrown off the road and into a fence. The driver of the SUV and the pickup truck suffered only minor injuries.
North 82nd Avenue has sections in which passing is prohibited and in which it is permitted. Police said they have not yet determined whether the truck that was attempting to pass the SUV had crossed a solid yellow line. No mention has been made as to whether alcohol may have been involved, and no charges have been made.
Anyone who has been injured or lost a loved one in similar circumstances may wish to pursue a claim for damages against the driver whose negligence caused the accident. An experienced personal injury attorney can evaluate a client's chance of recovering damages by analyzing the law and the facts of the case. These damages could cover medical expenses, lost income and pain, and suffering. In this case, the family of the deceased driver may have a wrongful death claim against either of the other two drivers who may have been at fault.
