26642 Miller Bay Road NE     Kingston, Washington 98346   (360)297-3619   

TWO AIRLIFTED AFTER PICK-UP STRIKES TREE

December 29, 2001

(Near KINGSTON, Kitsap County) -- Two adults were airlifted to Seattle's Harborview Medical Center after their pick-up veered off the roadway, struck a tree and left the occupants entrapped here on Friday evening.

Crews from North Kitsap Fire & Rescue, Poulsbo Fire Department and Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue were called to the scene on Highland Road, about 1-1/2 miles south of the residential street's intersection with SR 104, at 8:20pm.  The crash occurred across from the home of Richard Wendt who heard the collision and, with telephone in hand, ran to see if he could help.  Wendt used the phone to call 9-1-1 as he attempted to aid the occupants who were trapped in the crumpled vehicle.  The first fire crews, on scene in five minutes, found the late-model king-cab pick-up upright and off of the roadway with severe front end damage.  The truck's nose, which carried the imprint of the 18" diameter alder, was pushed in approximately two feet. The windshield was shattered, both airbags had deployed, the truck's canopy lay some ten feet away and its spare tire was across the roadway. 

Inside, an adult male lay partially-conscious while the adult female was awake but clearly injured.   All of the truck's doors were jammed shut by the force of the crash.   Firefighters used hydraulic extrication tools to pry open the passenger side, rapidly removing the patients for transfer to waiting ambulances.  The man, who regained consciousness while in paramedics' care, had suffered possible serious head, chest and abdominal injuries while the woman sustained a severe laceration to the hand as well as possible head and shoulder injuries.  Neither of the truck's occupants -- who lived just blocks away on Highland -- were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash.   Both were transported by Airlift Northwest helicopter within 30 minutes of crews' arrival on the scene.

 The Kitsap County Sheriff's Office is investigating the cause of the crash.