1998 Chevrolet Blazer / Courtesy photo by Cheyenne Sayad
This news item was updated at 6:46 p.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A 19-year-old Chehalis area resident was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after his Chevrolet Blazer drove into the path of a semi truck on state Route 6 near Adna yesterday evening.
Troopers and aid called about 5:15 p.m. to the scene two miles west of Chehalis found the SUV had spun out and come to rest in the eastbound lane; the big rig ran off the shoulder into the ditch.
Darrick B. Cruz’s SUV was totaled, according to the Washington State Patrol. The truck driver was reportedly uninjured.
According to the investigating trooper, the 1994 Freightliner was westbound on state Route 6 when Cruz entered from Chilvers Road and stopped in the the westbound lane, causing the truck to swerve into the east lane in an attempt to avoid it. Then the SUV then moved south into the east lane where it was struck, according to the state patrol.
A spokesperson for the state patrol said he believed Cruz may have been attempting to turn left, but wasn’t sure.
“He was unconscious, so we don’t know what he was trying to do,” Trooper Will Finn said.
Firefighters had to use the Jaws of Life as there was major “intrusion” into the driver’s side, according to Lewis County Fire District 6. The patient suffered possible head injuries and what Chief Tim Kinder called multi-system trauma – very serious injuries.
Cruz was in the intensive care unit listed in serious condition about 9:30 a.m. today.
Both were wearing seat belts. The semi truck was towed, according to the state patrol.
The cause of the collision is under investigation.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
My response is to the person named TEA. It is wrong of you to even insinuate something so terrible as a suicide attempt. I have been with Darrick’s parents for the past 5 days at the hospital, and never was there a mention of Darrick being upset. Darrick is an awesome young man. With a loving family a great friends. I hope my sister and Darrick’s dad never read your post. We may never know exactly what happened to his SUV it is up to the police to investigate the accident. Not someone who was not there.
This is a sad sad story, this could have been a suicide attemp, he had been fighting with his girlfriend and told her he was kill himself then this happens
I am so relieved to hear how he is doing. He and his family have been in my thoughts.
It is so easy to misjudge the speed of oncoming traffic on state route 6 when you are stopped at one the side streets. The speed limit is 55 and most are doing that or more. The closing time from when you pull out is very short. I pray for a full recovery for this young man
Members of our family know Darrick, and our hearts are with his family, my grandson and his girlfriend are at harborview with him, and I hope all goes ok for him, Darrick is a good young man and very helpful to others.
I hope he is going to be okay. My family knows this kid.