On May 24th, three vehicles were involved in a rollover accident that resulted in injuries, the Washington State Patrol reported. The crash, which happened at the intersection of Main Street and 3rd Avenue, involved two Toyota 4Runners and a Nissan Rogue.
According to a witness, the Toyota vehicles were waiting at a red light to cross Main Street when the light turned green. As one of the Toyota vehicles entered the intersection, a Nissan traveling on Main Street also entered the intersection, crashing into the Toyota. The impact caused the vehicle to collide with the second Toyota and roll over before it rested on its side.
Thankfully, nobody suffered major injuries. The crash is still under investigation.
Experts: Accidents At Intersections Still Fairly Common
While officials are still investigating this accident, it’s important to note that drivers who do not respect traffic lights are risking being involved in serious crashes.
In 2019, a report from AAA showed that the number of deaths caused by drivers running red lights had hit its highest rate in 10 years.
The data came from 2017, when 939 people died in accidents in the U.S. caused by drivers running red lights — a 28% increase from 2012.
At the time, the National Safety Council’s manager of statistics said that while the increase in deadly crashes caused by red light runners was heartbreaking, accidents at intersections have always been fairly common.
They are also “obviously preventable,” he added. All it takes is for drivers to be alert and mindful of traffic laws to avoid exposing others to deadly risks.
We hope that this accident will serve as a reminder of the importance of respecting traffic lights. Additionally, we hope that drivers across Washington state will continue to observe speed limits, even if the traffic volume remains low.
For more information on this three-car accident, especially as officials update reporters on what they find, follow this link.
