The driver of this 2003 Jeep Cherokee is expected to survive. / Courtesy photo by Washington State Patrol.
Updated at 8:26 a.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
A 16-year-old boy was airlifted to a Seattle hospital yesterday after his Jeep Cherokee was rear ended by a semi truck, pushed into oncoming traffic and caught fire at U.S. Highway 12 just east of Rochester yesterday afternoon.
Troopers called about 4 p.m. to the scene found four vehicles involved in the collision at Pecan Street, according to the Washington State Patrol.
The Jeep Cherokee was eastbound and in the left turn lane when an eastbound Kenworth hauling 100,000 pounds of scrap metal hit it and shoved it into an oncoming pickup truck, according to the state patrol. A car then rear-ended the pickup, the state patrol reported. The teen was helped out his driver’s side window by others, according to Trooper Guy Gill.
The two people transported with serious injuries are both expected to survive, Gill indicated last night.
According to the state patrol: Robert A. Johnson, 51, of Rochester, the driver of the Ford Ranger, was taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia.
The 16-year-old from Rochester, whose name was not released, was flown to Harborview Medical Center.
Jonathon W. Kalin, 47, Rochester, the driver of the Saturn Ion, was reportedly uninjured as was the driver of the big rig, Steven C. Johnson, 62, of Vancouver.
The collision is under investigation.
A 2006 Kenworth hauling scrap metal at Pecan Street on U.S. Highway 12. / Courtesy photo by Washington State Patrol.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
I live on the hw12 denmark area I use to drive a little honda civic hatch back it is one of the scariest turns even when you have to stop completely and the semi truck or car behind you doesnt and just about side swipes you while going around these areas need turning kanes ive herd of to many deaths and injuries on these very same spots my neighbor was even struck before.
Regardless of the lack of turn lanes here, it is a driver’s responsibility to pay attention to the road. There are signs all over that remind us in smaller vehicles to make sure that we give the big rigs enough room when moving in and out of traffic…they need to give us the same courtesy instead of having the mind set “I’m bigger than you.” I have driven this road MANY times and have been tailgated by big rigs on numerous occasions. I have even been passed bye truck and trailer on this stretch of road. Because of it being a major ‘vein’ in distribution, truckers seem to think they own this part of the road and believe that ‘we’ are in their way for making their times.
It is absolutely something that needs to be addressed! The bottom line is in the past year our family has had two close family friends nearly die in collisions on Hwy 12. The first would’ve left 3 children without parents on Hwy 12 & Denmark and the other just yesterday would’ve taken a promising future from a 16 year old young man and a father from a family! I understand saying that it is a drivers responsibility to keep enough room to stop but these accidents happen because people are NOT! A few lights on this stretch of Hwy would make all the difference in the world! If you ask me it’s well worth it!
This actually happened right behind our house, you can just make it out in the second picture.
IMO the lack of turning lanes is not the biggest issue, it’s the lack of patience..it’s the people doing 70+ in a 55mph HIGHWAY (not a freeway people) and then being shocked that someone has the audacity to be stopped or turning, it’s the people who think it is their right to go around those who are stopped or turning at the above rate of speed and then be livid because someone is turning in front of them @@ It’s only 55 for a couple of miles before it slows down…so why not just take it a little slower in the first place?
You can bet I’ll be making good use of the info provided by Faith Hope & Love (thank you for that btw!)
It was the truck and all other vehicles responsibility to maintain stopping distance ahead of them at ALL times. Blaming the lack of a left turn lane does nothing. You can’t place left turn lanes everywhere you want. I’ve had to abort a left turn on Hwy 14 near Wishram when a tailgating apple truck let it be known he wasn’t going to slow down even with my signal on a 1/4 mile before my stop.
Over the past 30 years I have witnessed so many deaths on this hwy, lost count along time ago…Me myself have been rear ended by a semi…back when black river bridge had the road rite next to it. we barely missed being killed… very sad that hwy, 12 has taken so many lives, alls it needs is a couple freakin turn lanes. Do we have to wait for someones family member that works for WSDOT…to be killed leaving the casino, before somethings done about it, Theres twice the amount of traffic then there was just 10 years ago. locals!!!!! lets be heard.
I’d like to make a correction….There is NO left turn lane at this intersection!!!! That is part of the problem at this particular stretch of the road, along with the one located at Hwy 12 and Denmark St. I have lived in Rochester for 35 years, and it sickens me to read about these horrific accidents taking place time and time again in the same areas, due to the same problem! Please join me in calling our local traffic operations engineer. His contact information is as follows: STEVE BENNETT, WSDOT Olympic Region Traffic Engineer, 360-357-2673 or steve.bennett@wsdot.wa.gov
Call or email him your traffic concerns for Pecan & Hwy 12 and Denmark & Hwy 12