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Road rage crash results in fatal personal injury for passenger

On Behalf of | Nov 6, 2020 | Personal Injury |

Many Washington drivers have had moments on the road when they have felt extreme anger toward another driver, whether because that driver cut them off, they were driving too slowly or they made a potentially dangerous error in judgment. Most people in this position will express their feelings within the confines of their own vehicle, at most yelling or gesturing to the offending driver. Some people, however, take a much more aggressive approach, often leading to serious personal injury or sometimes death. Such was the case when a crash thought to be caused by road rage left a passenger dead and a driver in critical condition.

The horrific crash happened on a recent Friday afternoon on Interstate 90 near Spokane. Washington State Patrol investigators believe a 40-year-old man traveling westbound tried to cut off another vehicle. Unfortunately, his vehicle crashed into the other vehicle. Apparently, the first vehicle then rolled, causing a chunk of concrete from the median to fly off and land in the eastbound lanes, where it was struck by another vehicle.

Sadly, a 50-year-old woman who was a passenger in the first vehicle became pinned underneath the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the crash scene. The driver of that vehicle suffered critical injuries in the incident and underwent surgery that evening. Reportedly, he may now face a vehicular homicide charge. The WSP is still investigating and asking witnesses to contact them with any information.

Although most Washington residents can probably understand the intense feelings that can arise during an encounter with a seemingly incompetent driver, when people act on such feelings, tragedy can result. In this case, a woman was killed, and the man whose expression of road rage caused the crash, if he survives his injuries, will likely pay for his poor choice for a very long time. Following incidents like this one, the victim’s surviving family members often consult with an attorney experienced in personal injury cases to discuss their options within the civil justice system.

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