Davis Law Group, P.S.

86-year-old Yelm man hurt in one-car collision

Story Highlights:
One injured in Yelm car accident
One-car collision caused by falling asleep at the wheel
Driver was not wearing a seatbelt



Date: March 17, 2011, 03/17/2011
Location: Yelm, Thurston County, Washington
Type: Car accident, Motor vehicle collision
Outcome: One injured

On Thursday, an 86-year-old Yelm man was injured in a one-car collision after he fell asleep at the wheel.

While heading west down 138th Avenue at Bald Hills Road in Yelm, Raymond D. Herbrand drifted off the road onto the right shoulder, cross corrected to the left, and struck a tree and fence.

Herbrand was taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital. He was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the collision and neither drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash.

Elderly Driving Statistics

• In 2006, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 30 million people over the age of 65 were licensed drivers in the U.S.
• 6,017 people over 65 killed in an automobile while driving in 2006.
• The high number of fatalities is because older people are less likely to survive a crash due to injuries.
• In 2006, 81 percent of the accidents that lead to death involving a person over the age of 65 happened during the day.
• When another vehicle is involved in a crash, approximately 72 percent of the time, the older person is much more likely to be hit than a younger person due to several factors including slower driving or driving out into traffic.

Asleep At The Wheel Accident Statistics

• 52 per cent of 107 single-vehicle accidents involving heavy trucks were fatigue-related; in nearly 18 per cent of the cases, the driver admitted to falling asleep.
• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimate that there are 56,000 sleep related road crashes annually in the USA, resulting in 40,000 injuries and 1,550 fatalities.
• In 2007 fatigue was involved in at least 18% of fatal accidents and accounts for about 7% of all accidents.

Seattle Car Accident Attorneys
If you or a family member has suffered as the result of a car accident, Seattle car accident attorney Chris Davis and the Davis Law Group, P.S. can help you. We understand the devastation that can occur as a result of being in a serious auto accident. We are committed to helping car accident, trucking accident, and motorcycle accident victims recover the just and fair compensation they are entitled to receive under the law.