Davis Law Group, P.S.

Woman killed in Colfax head-on collision

Story Highlights:
One dead in Colfax accident
Motor vehicle collision cause unknown



Date: June 6, 2011, 06/06/2011
Location: Colfax, Whitman County, Washington
Type: Car accidents, Motor vehicle collision
Outcome: One dead

A woman was killed in a head-on collision near Colfax on Monday night.

Just before 6 p.m. 34-year-old Sanchita Haldar was driving on Highway 26 at Penawawa Road when she crossed the centerline and collided with another vehicle driven by 21-year-old Jennifer D. Baker.

Both Haldar and Baker were transported by helicopter to Sacred Heart Medical Center, where Haldar later died of her injuries. She was a graduate student at Washington State University.

Washington State Patrol is still investigating the crash and have not yet determined or reported the cause.

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.

Whites 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 Car Accident Victim Attorneys
Chris Davis and everyone at the Davis Law Group sends out their heartfelt condolences for the family and friends of Sanchita Haldar 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.