Davis Law Group, P.S.

One dead, one injured in Tumwater collision

Story Highlights:
One dead, one injured in Tumwater accident
Motor vehicle collision cause unknown



Date: June 6, 2011, 06/06/2011
Location: Tumwater, Thurston County, Washington
Type: Car accident, Motor vehicle collision
Outcome: One dead, one injured

One person was killed in a collision on Interstate 5 near Tumwater on Monday.

Around 10:45 a.m. 75-year-old Shirley D. Johnston was driving on south on I-5 when she collided with 48-year-old Crystal F. Smith. Both cars left the roadway and came to rest in the brush. Johnston was dead at the scene and Smith suffered only minor injuries.

Washington State Patrol is investigating the case and has determined that drugs and alcohol were not the causing factors of the crash. The reason the cars collided has not yet been reported.

Tumwater Fatal Accident Statistics for 2009
• Fatal accident count: 2
• Vehicles involved in fatal accidents: 2
• Fatal accidents caused by drunken drivers: 2
• Fatalities: 2
• Persons involved in fatal accidents: 2
• Pedestrians involved in fatal accidents: 0

Washington State Fatal Accident Statistics
Overall, 21-30 year olds comprise the largest majority of fatalities, at 21.5%, followed by 15-20 year olds at 16.2%. When we control for differences in the population, 15-20 year olds have the highest fatality rate per 100,000 population of 19.9, compared to the rate of 16.8 for 21-30 year olds. At the other end of the age spectrum, 80+ year olds have the second highest fatality rate, mostly due to their low representation in the population and their vulnerability to injury when involved in a collision.

Caucasians represent the largest percentage of traffic fatalities, at 85.8%. However, they also comprise 81.5% of Washington’s population and thus have one of the lower fatality rates per 100,000 population. Native Americans by far have the highest fatality rate at 28.45, followed by Hispanics with 16.19.

Fatalities occurred almost equally during daytime hours (49.7%) and nighttime hours (50.3%) from 1997 to 2006. The time of day with the highest number of fatalities was between 2 pm and 5:59 pm with 22.1%, followed by 6 pm to 9:59 pm with 19.7%. Research indicates only 10-15% of traffic volume occurs during the nighttime hours. If we use a conservative estimate of 20%, we find the nighttime fatality rate per vehicle-miles-traveled is consistently 3-4 times higher than the daytime rate.

Seattle Motor Vehicle Accident Attorneys
Chris Davis and everyone at the Davis Law Group sends out their heartfelt condolences for the family and friends of Shirley D. Johnston 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. 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.