The 2014 Chevrolet Camaro sits about 10 feet below Leonard Road at Burchett Road on Oct. 18, 2016. / Photo Lewis County Sheriff’s Office case file
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A $1.2 million claim has been filed against Lewis County for wrongful death in the case of a 70-year-old Vietnam veteran whose car wasn’t discovered for nearly 90 minutes after he traveled down an embankment where a guard rail was missing and struck a tree in the Onalaska area.
The Chevrolet Camaro with its flashers on was spotted by a pair of Lewis County Public Works employees driving by, more than 40 feet off the west end of Burchett Road and down more than 10 feet, only because the county utility truck happened to sit high enough to see it, according to authorities.
Morris L. Johanson was conscious when responders arrived and told them he had been on his way to a doctor’s appointment at the VA hospital. Law enforcement noted Johanson was seat belted in and his airbags deployed and they could see his lower leg was broken and his forehead cut. He was on oxygen and had oxygen tanks on the floorboard beside him.
Morris Leland Johanson
The two county employees had broken a window so they could talk with him.
The two-time Purple Heart recipient who lived less than five miles away told the arriving deputy he’d run the stop sign for Leonard Road at 6:30 a.m., that he hadn’t realized where he was and hadn’t noticed it.
The wreck had been reported at 7:55 a.m.
Johanson stopped breathing during the move from his vehicle to the ambulance. CPR was conducted and the ambulance headed to meet an airlift helicopter, but when a second deputy responded to Onalaska High School’s football field, he found the helicopter with its engine shut off and was told Johanson was deceased.
The guard rail had not been repaired or replaced following a collision at the T-intersection about a month earlier, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office and the wrongful death claim.
Portland attorney Jon Zbinden wrote that Johanson endured pain and suffering until his demise from blunt force trauma – to his chest according to the coroner. Zbinden wrote that the Onalaska man was not discovered for approximately one and a half hours because his vehicle traveled down the embankment as a result of a missing guard rail.
The collision occurred the morning of Oct. 18. The claim – on behalf of Johanson’s daughter, Cherie Johanson – was received by Lewis County Risk Management on April 10. A claim was filed against the Washington State Department of Transportation as well.
Johanson had lived in Onalaska about 10 years and previously owned a long haul trucking business, according to his obituary.
Earlier this week, the risk and safety administrator for the county, Paulette Young, informed the Board of (Lewis) County Commissioners that their attorney handling the case recommended they deny the claim.
“Most likely if we deny, we’ll see a lawsuit,” Young told them.
The three member board voted unanimously to deny the claim.
The Washington State Patrol analyzed the scene and concluded the orange 2014 Camaro, with a Washington Purple Heart specialty plate had been traveling approximately 43 mph when it left the roadway.
There were no marks to suggest any braking for the stop sign and pieces of the previous guard rail were still scattered on the slope.
There had been orange traffic cones placed along Leonard Road where the guard rail previously was, according to one of the investigating troopers.
The Lewis County Coroner’s Office found Johanson died of of blunt force injuries to his chest, with two diseases contributing: arteriosclerotic cardiovascular and chronic obstructive pulmonary. He had multiple rib fractures and internal bleeding collapsed both his lungs, according to the autopsy report.
A service with full military honors was held at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland where he was laid to rest.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
LC Citizen-your nuts, it was lucky that he was found at all the first day until someone reported him missing, if he would not have ran through the stop sign, he would of not had to be found in the first place, or just maybe if you were monitoring that particular intersection that day, then it would of been called in right away? so maybe the real fault is your failed to be there right when he ran the stop sign?
LC Citizen
The family’s claim is about the guardrail. The time involved for fire to arrive, extricate him and transport to the hospital is not part of the equation.
We choose to live in the rural part of the county where our fire/EMS is strictly volunteer so if it takes longer for the to respond/transport than say Centralia or Chehalis that is not on the county.
The missing guardrail will be the key in the case and will be decided, ultimately, by 12 citizen jurors who hear the case.
How could him running a stop sign be the cause of his death?? Another vehicle did not hit him at that stop sign.
I have to agree with the helicopter, we sometimes have to take responsibility for our own lives and not blame everyone else, lawyers and Family want $, nothing more, I am sure if the guardrail was not up due to already been hit and ready for repairs, the person should not have run the stop sign at that location and maybe picked a location to run a stop sign where the guardrail was in place. Now I understand that greed and lawyers will convince you to file or sue and , but why would the they sue the wash state department of transportation? how could they be involved in any way?
Morris lived on Shanklin road close to Salkum. Why he chose to drive down Burchett road instead of Hwy 12 is anybody’s guess. But the fact that the guard rail was missing is NOT a contributing factor to this wreck. It’s a wreck, not an accident. Accidents are not preventable, wrecks are. AND this was a T-bar intersection. If there had been a guard rail, Morris most likely would have been killed instantly. The “contributing factor” is, Morris was not paying attention to where he was. Having lived in the area for many many years, he was aware there was a stop sign there. Suing the citizens of Lewis County because of his own negligence is just his families grab for money and to re-direct blame. Morris was a good guy. I’m sure even he would have said this was not Lewis Counties fault.
Two Time Purple Heart Recipient dies because it took 40 minutes to find him, 5 minutes to report it, and another 20 minutes for the ambulance and fire department to arrive and free him, only to die in transfer from car to ambulance. Had he not passed it would have been another 20 minute drive to the hospital. That’s 85 minutes until he would have been in the ER.
What I’m saying is his family has a case. This is quite sad.
RIP Sir.
I’d say the fact he did not see the stop sign and did not stop was the contributing factor to his death. You can only cheat death so many times. The guard rail not being replaced is irrelevant. Although they should be replaced on timely schedule. I feel bad for the family. The lawyers told them they have a claim and are taking their money and they will not win.