Personal Injury Law

Everett Teen Killed on I-5: Family Warns Others

By Kirk Bernard, Esq.

The website king5.com reported in an article on April 14, 2009 that the family of fifteen year old Haley Salvador wants to alert people, especially teens, not to cross Interstate 5. According to reports, Salvador had taken the shortcut countless times but the last time would prove to be a deadly one.

Niky Griffin and Daniel Leatherman accompanied their good friend Salvador the night of the dreadful pedestrian accident in Washington. They say that they went across the first time safely but on the way back Salvador took the wrong shortcut and actually cut across I-5 instead of going up the on ramp.

Griffin said, ?You have to make sure cars aren't going too fast that they could hit you. She didn't go up the onramp. She went down it and across the freeway, which she wasn't supposed to do. I don't know why she went that way.?

Salvador is not the first to cross the I-5 at this juncture and will most likely not be the last. According to teens, the shortcut lessens their trip to Everett Mall by 20 minutes. With no pedestrian bridge, the shortcut entices teens to the point that they overlook their safety in order to avoid taking the long way.

Daniel Letherman said, ?I live right across the freeway... and this is the fastest way unless you go all the way around. There's no other way to get to the mall.?

Brandon Lee, Washington State Patrol said, ?Running across four to five lanes, on-off ramps, it's just not safe, especially at night, it's really deceiving how fast people are going?.

Automobile and truck accidents in Seattle also may involve other complex issues, including dangerous highway design, dangerous design of an automobile, an airbag failure or trucks. These cases may involve multiple defendants, including state and local governments, the Washington Department of Transportation and automobile manufacturers.

The lawyers at The Bernard Law Group can help you if you have been seriously hurt in Seattle or Washington State. They can prove if road conditions were unsafe, if there was inadequate safety and warning, or any other factors that may have been responsible for an accident. Much of this evidence is highly sensitive and may deteriorate over time. Sadly, many accident victims fail to act in defense of their rights until it is too late. Don't let your case slip away from you. Please call the skilled Seattle personal injury attorneys at 1-800-418-8282 for a free consultation.

Full post as published by Seattle Injury Blog on May 27, 2009 (boomark / email).