Davis Law Group, P.S.

Man dies in Richland collision

Story Highlights:
One dead in Richland accident
One-car collision caused by failing to negotiate curve



Date: April 23, 2011, 04/23/2011
Location: Richland, Benton County, Washington
Type: Car accident, Motor vehicle collision
Outcome: One dead

A man was killed in a one-car collision near Richland on Saturday morning.

Around 11:30 a.m. 24-year-old Trevor L. Petersen was driving west on Interstate 182 when he failed to negotiate the curve on and rolled his SUV.

Petersen was not wearing his seatbelt and was thrown from his vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Washington State Patrol is investigating the accident but believes that the cause was Petersen's failure to negotiate the curve.

Washington State Fatal Accident Statistics

• In 2006, there were 633 traffic deaths, a 2.5% decrease from 2005, and an 11.1% decrease from 1996. The average number of traffic deaths per year from 1997 to 2001 was 650.6, and from 2002 to 2006 was 621.4, a 4.5% decrease.
• The average fatality rate from 1997 to 2001 was 1.24 and from 2002 to 2006 was 1.12, a 9.7% decrease. Overall, the fatality rate has decreased by 42.9% since 1986, and by 15.2% since 1997. The average fatality rate between 1997 to 2006 was 1.18.
• By comparison, the national fatality rate decreased by 12.2% from 1.64 in 1997 to 1.44 in 2006. From 1997 to 2001, the average fatality rate was 1.56, and from 2002 to 2006 was 1.47, a 5.8% decrease. The average national fatality rate between 1997 and 2006 was 1.51, 28% higher than Washington State’s average for the same time period.
• The majority of traffic fatalities occur on rural roads. From 1997 to 2006, 3,854 people were killed in collisions on rural roads, representing 60.6% of all fatalities. However, approximately 30% of the vehicle-miles-traveled occur on rural roads, indicating the fatality rate on rural roads is much higher than on urban roads.
• The average rural road fatality rate per 100 million vehicle-miles-traveled from 1999 to 2006 (1997-1998 data is not available) was 2.27, compared to the urban road rate of 0.65.

Seattle Car Accident Victim Attorneys
Chris Davis and everyone at the Davis Law Group sends out their heartfelt condolences for the family and friends of Trevor L. Petersen and hope they can find a knowledgeable wrongful death lawyer that will help settle their case and get them the compensation they deserve for suffering such a tragic loss. A motor vehicle accident is when a road vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, road debris, or man-made object. These collisions can result in personal injury, property damage, or death. Motor vehicle accidents can involve automobiles, trucks, semi or tractor trailer trucks, delivery vehicles, passenger vans, motorcycles, etc. Contributing factors in traffic accidents can be vehicle design, speed of operation, road design, driver distraction (texting or talking on a cell phone while driving), and driver impairment (drunk driving).If you or a family member has suffered as the result of a car accident in Washington state, Seattle motor vehicle accident attorney Chris Davis and the Davis Law Group, P.S. can help you. We are committed to helping car accident, trucking accident, DUI accident, and motorcycle accident victims recover the just and fair compensation they are entitled to receive under the law.