Two vehicles were left in pieces after a collision in Hansville, last week after one vehicle crossed the centerline, striking another vehicle and sideswiping a guard rail before coming to a stop nearly a mile down the road.
According to Scott Wilson, the public information officer for Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, the crash occurred on April 3, around 12:48 p.m. in the 36500 block of Hansville Road NE.
The crash involved a 2003 Lexus driven by a 70-year-old Hansville man and a 2003 Ford Focus driven by a 22-year-old Hansville man.
“The Lexus was traveling North on Hansville Road, it crossed the center line and struck the Ford Focus nearly head-on, side-swiping the Ford Focus’ driver side,” Wilson said. “The Lexus lost a wheel and a strut in this collision but continued northbound on Hansville Road, then hit a guard rail and traveled approximately one mile to near Gust Halvor Road, where it went into the ditch.”
“That’s significant travel for a vehicle that lost a wheel,” Wilson noted.
According to Wilson, the driver of the Ford was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
The driver of the Lexus, Wilson said, did not exhibit any signs of incapacitation and driver distraction was suspected as a possible cause for the collision.
A citation, Wilson added was forwarded to the Kitsap County District Court, for consideration. Improper passing on the left and negligent driving in the second degree were listed in the citation, Wilson said.
According to the 22-year-old driver of the Ford Focus, Josh Haywood, the crash occured close to his home.
“I had just pulled out of my driveway and I get about a half-mile up the road,” Haywood said recalling Wednesday’s collision. “The car was coming in the opposite direction, he’s coming pretty fast, and I see him slowly start to swerve into my lane.”
“It was terrifying,” Haywood said recalling the moments just before the impact, as he watched the other driver drifting farther into his lane. “I kept pulling over as far as I could but I couldn’t pull over any more. As I knew I was going to get hit, I just closed my eyes.”
According to Wilson, the fact that the collision was not directly head-on, resulted in a less catastrophic impact. In some cases, the deputy explained, head-on collisions result in the vehicle’s engine block being pushed through the car, injuring the passenger.
“You very well could have intrusion of the engine block going through the front of the car and into the passenger compartment and we’ve seen that numerous times,” Wilson said. “The fact that these individuals survived what could have been a very traumatic crash, due to the head-on nature, is very fortunate.”
—Nick Twietmeyer is the editor for the North Kitsap Herald. Nick can be reached at ntwietmeyer@soundpublishing.com
