Tisiana Gonzales Injured in Yakima Canyon Car Accident
The 19-year-old was airlifted to Kadlec Medical Center after the sedan she was riding in struck a pickup truck
Tisiana Gonzales, 19, of Yakima, was critically injured in a head-on car accident on State Route 821 in the Yakima Canyon on May 17, according to the Washington State Patrol.
Troopers are investigating the exact cause of the collision. No charges have been filed.
The southbound sedan failed to negotiate a curve about 12 miles south of Ellensburg. It crossed into the oncoming lane and struck a northbound pickup truck head-on.
Rescuers airlifted Gonzales, a passenger in the sedan, to Kadlec Medical Center in Richland with life-threatening injuries. The 21-year-old driver of the sedan died at the scene.
The driver and a passenger in the pickup truck were not hurt. The crash blocked the highway for nearly five hours.
Washington State has seen a sharp rise in traffic deaths, with 810 motor vehicle crash deaths recorded in a recent year, according to the IIHS.
Why did the sedan cross the center line on State Route 821?
Investigators are examining vehicle speed and road conditions in the Yakima Canyon. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission reports a sharp increase in traffic deaths statewide, highlighting the risks on these corridors.
What are the legal options for injured passengers?
Candice Bond, managing partner at Bond Legal, who is also a national legal analyst for Accident News, said, "Serious crashes frequently produce injuries to occupants who had no opportunity to brace for impact, and determining what a driver was doing in the critical moments before a collision requires analysis of cellphone records, in-vehicle telematics, and pre-crash driving patterns. That evidence deteriorates or becomes inaccessible without prompt legal action."
When passengers are severely injured in head-on crashes, liability often falls on the driver of the vehicle they were riding in.
"Evidence gathered in the hours and days following a serious crash is extraordinarily fragile, and without prompt legal intervention much of it can be lost permanently. Skilled legal counsel may act quickly to secure surveillance footage, obtain witness statements, and request toxicology records before institutional deadlines eliminate access to that material," noted Stefano Formica, a national legal analyst for Accident News and of counsel at Bond Legal.
Washington wrongful death statute
Under RCW § 4.20.010, surviving family members may file a wrongful death action. Washington applies pure comparative fault. The statute of limitations is 3 years.
Recoverable damages may include loss of financial support, loss of companionship, funeral expenses, and the estate's losses.