Davis Law Group, P.S.

Two dead in North Bend semi truck accident

Story Highlights:
Two dead in North Bend accident
Motor vehicle collision caused by poor visibility



Date: July 6, 2011
Location: North Bend, King County, Washington
Type: Motor vehicle collision, Semi accident
Outcome: Two dead

Two people were killed in a motor vehicle collision in North Bend on Wednesday.

While Cheryl Bach, 47 was getting help for their pickup truck that broke down on Highway 18, she was able to flag down 65-year-old Ronald Reinhardt. He picked her up in his car, and as they were making a U-turn in Reinholdt's black Subaru, they were struck by a semi truck.

Reinhardt was killed instantly. Bach was taken to a local hospital but later died.  The semi driver was uninjured.

Washington State Patrol contributed poor visibility as the cause of the accident but are still unsure why Reinholdt pulled out in front of the semi truck. The accident is still under investigation.

North Bend Fatal Accident Statistics
Fatal accident count: 21
Vehicles involved in fatal accidents: 27
Fatal accidents caused by drunken drivers: 11
Fatalities: 23
Persons involved in fatal accidents: 56
Pedestrians involved in fatal accidents: 5

Washington State Fatal Car Accident Statistics
Most road types, excluding city streets, have a larger majority of rural road deaths, most prominently on State/US Highways and County Roads. State/US Highways experienced the highest number of deaths, with 2,421 (38.1%) from 1997 to 2006. However, State/US Highways experience the highest number of vehicle-miles-traveled, and as a result, do not have the highest fatality rate. Rather, County Roads have the highest fatality rate per miles traveled, at 2.18, compared to the State/US Highway rate of 1.53.

Males continue to be involved in the majority of traffic collisions—representing 69.1% of fatalities from 1997-2006. This difference is most prominent in the 21-30 age group, where they comprise 78.3% of the total. 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.
 
Seattle Wrongful Death Attorneys
Chris Davis and everyone at the Davis Law Group sends out their heartfelt condolences for the family and friends of Cheryl Bach and Ronald Reinhardt 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. Statistically, children under age 16 are the most likely to be struck by a car, but elderly victims are the most likely to die as a result of pedestrian or crosswalk accident injuries. Most pedestrian accidents occur on the weekends during the evening hours. Pedestrian accidents in the late afternoon increase when daylight savings time is removed in the winter and the sun sets earlier.If you or a family member has suffered as the result of a crosswalk or pedestrian accident in Washington state, pedestrian accident attorney Chris Davis and the Davis Law Group, P.S. can help you. We are committed to helping injured pedestrians recover the just and fair compensation they are entitled to receive under the law.