Heraldnet.com
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 8:42 am
ADVERTISEMENT

LocalNorthwestNation & WorldPoliticsSpecial ReportsPhotosColumnistsMultimedia 
Blog
Jerry Cornfield
Morning mystery: What happened to House Bill 3181?
Your town news
Julie Muhlstein
Columnist Julie Muhlstein's take on life in Snohomish County.
•Latest: 1949 travel aid shows how few places blacks were welcome in Washington
Kristi O'Harran
Columnist Kristi O'Harran writes about people in Snohomish County.
•Latest: PAWS calls out for critter care-givers
Latest gallery

Model Train Show
February 7. 2010 (7 photos)
[More Herald photos]
 
WEEK IN REVIEW
Monday
Cigarette causes life-threatening burns
Everett rethinks boutique wineries
A tidy lawn could be law in Lynnwood
Sunday


Marysville family comes together amid devastati...
Monroe Correctional Complex to lessen security ...
Extra patrols will be watching for drunken driv...
Saturday


Olympics are in the air
Everett police officers cleared in 2008 shootin...
Edmonds woman leaves gift of millions
Friday


Budget squeeze may close beloved Trafton school
Endgame near on airport flight debate?
Aaron Reardon laments political sparring with c...
Thursday


4-car police pileup in Everett under investigation
Edmonds educator, famous announcer dies
Bill would suspend limits on tax hikes
Wednesday


Citizenship classes: All for a better life
Many Snohomish County kids haven't had second d...
Snohomish County jail thrives under sheriff's m...
Tuesday


Mukilteo kids’ cards help Haitians
County Council increases scrutiny on Reardon
Pentagon report a good sign for Everett's Navy ...
 

ADVERTISEMENT

Local News   Print This Article  Email This Page  Subscribe Now! facebook digg reddit del.icio.us fark stumble

Jennifer Buchanan / The Herald  (click to enlarge)
Washington State Troopers Tom Burress (left) and Brian Mulvaney investigate a car involved in a two-vehicle head-on collision on Highway 522 that sent three people to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle on Monday.
 
ADVERTISEMENT

 
CONTACT THE HERALD
Robert Frank, City Editor
frank@heraldnet.com
 
Published: Tuesday, December 11, 2007

3 badly hurt in wreck near Monroe

Three people were taken to Harborview Medical Center on Monday after a collision on Highway 522 east of the Snohomish River Bridge near Monroe.

A man driving a Geo Prizm just before 3 p.m. apparently lost control as he rounded a curve in the westbound lane, said Sgt. J. Bussman of the Washington State Patrol. The car struck a guardrail and skidded into the eastbound lane, where it collided with a Ford F250 truck driven by another man, he said.

Fire crews were forced to slice the tops off both vehicles to rescue the drivers and a woman who was also in the Geo, Bussman said. The three people were trapped in their vehicles for less than 10 minutes.

A third vehicle, a Nissan pickup truck, was on the road behind the Ford truck and hit the wreckage, but the driver, a 42-year-old man from Granite Falls, was not injured, Bussman said.

The crash closed the highway, which links Monroe with Bothell, for about three hours.

Police did not release the names of the people hospitalized Monday but said they were all in critical condition.

There wasn't any ice on the road at the time of the accident, Bussman said, but wintry conditions caused collisions throughout the county Monday and sent several people to area hospitals.

A dusting of snow combined with light rain and frigid temperatures left a dangerous skin of black ice on many roads.

The National Weather Service in Seattle logged a low of 29 on Sunday. That was a new record for the day, breaking the previous record of 31 set in 2005.

Early-morning crashes closed Highway 9 and U.S. 2, backing up traffic for miles, officials said.

The accident on Highway 9 near the Snohomish River Bridge involved a garbage truck and sent at least one person to the hospital with injuries, officials said.

The U.S. 2 crash on the S. Machias Road overpass caused significant damage to several vehicles but caused no serious injuries, Snohomish County Fire District 4 paramedic Theresa Dennis said.

None of the injuries were life-threatening, Washington State Patrol trooper Keith Leary said.

Later Monday morning, a sport utility vehicle slid off 15th Avenue NE at 268th Street NE and fell down an embankment, North County Fire and EMS Battalion Chief Christian Davis said.

Paramedics helped calm the driver as her small truck perched dangerously on a tree branch, he said.

Firefighters used a ladder truck to help bring the woman to safety, Davis said.

Drivers are urged to use caution, he said.

"If you start to lose control, don't panic," Leary said.

Conditions can change quickly, he said. It's best to slow down and drive carefully.

There was scant additional precipitation Monday, and many roads dried off.

Temperatures rose into the high 30s and were expected to dip below freezing again by this morning's commute, said Chris Burke, a weather service meteorologist.

"I think it won't be that bad," he said.

Still, he said drivers should plan extra time and slow down.

"There will be frost on the road," he said.

On Monday morning, four trucks were spreading sand on county roads, said Steve Thomsen, the county's public works director.

"We need to up that coverage," he said. "It wasn't enough."

Thomsen said additional crews were scheduled to keep county roads safe today.


Other Advertisers
TODAY'S TOP JOBS
 View All Top Jobs 
Top Cars
Top Homes

ADVERTISEMENT