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Everett-Bellingham WA - Accident News and Resources including car, bicycle, motorcycle and truck accidents and much more.

Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Snohomish Counties comprise the Pacific Northwest Interior

Across these diverse counties, residents and visitors encounter gorgeous mountain views, extensive waterways, the beautiful Puget Sound, and the vast network of San Juan Islands.

Whatcom County, Washington, on the border with Canada, is an established college town with a growing population

Whatcom County has a population of approximately 200,000. The county seat and largest city is Bellingham. The county name ultimately derives from the Lummi word Xwotʼqom, meaning "noisy water."

The largest industries in Whatcom County include manufacturing, agriculture, and healthcare. Whatcom County is the location of Western Washington University.

Island County - A unique and beautiful region composed entirely of islands

As of the 2010 census, its population was 78,506. Its county seat is Coupeville, while its largest city is Oak Harbor. Its name reflects the fact that it is composed entirely of islands. It contains two large islands, Whidbey and Camano, and seven smaller islands - Baby, Ben Ure, Deception, Kalamut, Minor, Smith, and Strawberry.

San Juan County - A beautiful maritime archipelago of 743 islands

San Juan County is a county located in the Salish Sea in the far northwestern corner of Washington State. As of the 2010 census, its population was 15,769. Of the hundreds of islands in the county,  only 60 islands are inhabited.

Skagit County - Situated between near the majestic Cascade Mountains, the fertile Skagit Valley, and the powerful Skagit River

Skagit County, with a population of 116,901, is situated in the gorgeous Skagit Valley. The county seat and largest city is Mount Vernon. The majestic Cascade Mountains stand to the east, overlooking a fertile valley boasting a variety of agricultural crops. Running through the valley is the powerful Skagit River flowing westward toward the beautiful San Juan Islands.

Snohomish County - Home of the world's largest aerospace-industry manufacturing facility

Snohomish County, with a population of 772,501, is the third-most populous county in Washington. The county seat and largest city is Everett. The county is located between the sparkling blue waters of Puget Sound and the rugged, snow-capped peaks of the Cascade Mountains. Snohomish County begins 12 miles north of Seattle, a little under 100 miles south of Vancouver, and a short ferry ride away from the San Juan Islands and the Olympic Peninsula. Snohomish County is home to over 20,000 businesses, ranging from small family farms specializing in organic foods, to the world’s largest advanced manufacturing facility producing state-of art aerospace equipment.

The region's climate can contribute to accidents throughout the Northwest Interior

The climate is generally mild and typical of the Puget Sound region. The year-long average daily high and low temperatures are 59 and 44.1 °F. The western region of the Northwest Interior has a marine oceanic climate that is strongly influenced by the Cascade Range and Olympic Mountains, and gets an average of 42 inches of rain per year.

In Accident Data Center, find recent accidents at the links below:

Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Snohomish County car accidents;

Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Snohomish County pedestrian accidents;

Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Snohomish County motorcycle accidents;

Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Snohomish County bicycle accidents;

Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Snohomish County train accidents;

Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Skagit, and Snohomish County truck accidents.

When someone is injured in an accident in the region, it is important to gather information about what happens next.

Being injured in a serious accident is always a shocking and scary experience, and dealing with the aftermath is exhausting and stressful. Accident victims are forced to deal with hospitalization, medical treatments, missed work, and lost income, often while trying to manage pain and disability from their injuries. And then the insurance adjusters start circling. Find out more about accidents and what issues an injured person needs to be aware of by going to this link.

What to do after a serious injury accident in Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Skagit, or Snohomish County

When someone has been injured or killed in a motor-vehicle collision, the accident victim and their family members are left with medical bills, lost income, and other costs. It is important to get legal assistance to help the accident victim recover, or when the accident is fatal, to help the family members get fully compensated for their losses. Learn more about how a Pacific Northwest personal injury attorney will help injured victims and families.

State: 
Washington

Legal Data Center

Top 7 reasons to hire an experienced personal injury attorney
What every family needs to know about a wrongful death case
When a bicycle accident is fatal, survivors have hard decisions to make
Twelve tips to improve your personal injury claim
If a loved one died in an accident, this could be considered a wrongful death

Accident reports by county

Island County, WA - 15
San Juan County, WA - 2
Skagit County, WA - 113
Snohomish County, WA - 328
Whatcom County, WA - 156

Legal Resources

Everett-Bellingham WA
Washington State's laws on distracted driving - more than the cost of the fine

Washington State's laws on distracted driving - more than the cost of the fine

Many auto accidents in Bellingham, Washington and Whatcom County happen because of distracted driving. Distracted driving is not limited to actively texting or using an electronic device, but includes talking on a phone, or any activity that takes a driver’s attention from the act of driving. According to Distraction.Gov, at any given moment during daylight hours, over 660,000 vehicles are being driven by someone using a hand-held cell phone. To learn more about distracted driving in Whatcom County and the laws that help prevent it, click here.

Everett-Bellingham WA
When a car and train collide, the results can be deadly

When a car and train collide, the results can be deadly

Trains' whistles are often heard in Bellingham, and all through Whatcom County as well as Skagit County. As we are located in a busy corridor for trains traveling along the coast, their visits through here are increasingly frequent. Where cars and trains meet, sometimes deadlly accidents occur. Learn more about what factors can cause accidents at railroad crossings, and how dangerous it is for cars in an accident with a train.

Everett-Bellingham WA
Motorcycle riders are especially vulnerable to fatal injuries from reckless drivers

Motorcycle riders are especially vulnerable to fatal injuries from reckless drivers

Washington has a rich and varied landscape, from gorgeous beaches to some of the most incredible mountains in the country. Bellingham and the environs surrounding it in Whatcom and Skagit Counties is blessed with both land and sea, making it a wonderful place in which to work and play. Many residents enjoy traveling these landscapes by motorcycle. While most every ride is a wonderful way and safe experience, every time bikers get on the road, they are at the mercy of other drivers in vehicles that weight on average four tons. In a crash with one of them, the odds seriously are stacked against the motorcycle driver. Terribly, sometimes this means fatal injuries for the motorcycle driver who is involved in a wreck with a car or truck.

Everett-Bellingham WA
A graying population means more older drivers on the roads

A graying population means more older drivers on the roads

If we live to a certain age, it will happen to all of us. Sight and hearing become diminished, and reaction time gets longer. There are more cars on most roads, which means more potential hazards from other drivers. Even speed limits are set higher on many highways than they were decades ago. All these factors combine to make driving dangerous for anyone, but it’s especially risky for those who have diminished senses. For more information on car accidents involving elderly drivers, go here.

Everett-Bellingham WA
A broadside collision is especially dangerous for a motorcycle

A broadside collision is especially dangerous for a motorcycle

Motorcycles do not have the same protection all around them that other vehicles do. Even a tap from a car or truck can result in the motorcycle driver losing control, hitting another object such as a car or guardrail, and getting into a bad wreck that leaves the other driver unscathed. Typically it is the other driver who is at fault in these kinds of broadside collisions, which makes recouping losses more straightforward. However, before you attempt to recover your losses yourself through the maze of insurance policies and protocols, consult with a skilled lawyer. For more information on what to do if you've been broadsided while driving a motorcycle, click here.

Everett-Bellingham WA
Crashes involving a single motorcyclist don't always mean it's the driver's fault

Crashes involving a single motorcyclist don't always mean it's the driver's fault

There is a bias out there about motorcyclists, and some unfortunately do ignore speed limits or safety requirements, much like any driver. So if you are involved in a single motorcycle crash, does this automatically mean you are the only one at fault? There are certain considerations that may apply, and there could be more to your accident than is obvious. To learn more about what to do after you were involved in a single motorcycle crash, click here.

Everett-Bellingham WA
If a loved one has been killed while riding a motorcycle, you are suffering too

If a loved one has been killed while riding a motorcycle, you are suffering too

Each time bikers get on the road, they are at the mercy of other drivers in cars that weigh on average four tons - not to mention tracks and semi-tractor trailers. In a crash with one of them, the odds seriously are stacked against the motorcycle driver. Terribly, sometimes this means fatal injuries for the motorcycle driver. If a loved one has been killed while on a motorcycle, chances are you dealing with painful grief and worry. Though nothing can bring back your family as it was before, help is available for the survivor's journey.

Everett-Bellingham WA
When your spine is injured after a motorcycle wreck, everything is different

When your spine is injured after a motorcycle wreck, everything is different

Spinal cord injuries are some of the worst kinds that accident victims suffer. Because of the factors present in motorcycle accidents, too often they tragically occur. Motorcyclists simply lack the protection that cars and trucks have, and when bikers are hit, their injuries are significant. While many injuries can be dramatically obvious after a motorcycle, wreck, some take longer to show signs. Not all back injuries are immediately apparent after an accident. It takes some time for the initial shock of the accident to wear off. But the first moments after such a crash are critical in getting medical attention. If nerve damage occurs, movement, breathing, and other motor functions can be affected, and sometimes with lifelong consequence. The faster an injured person can get medical attention, the better the long term prognosis. Don’t play the tough guy and try to walk it off. Learn  your options for what to do after a hurt back from a motorcycle wreck.

Everett-Bellingham WA
One of the most dangerous places of all for a motorcyclist is also impossible to avoid while riding

One of the most dangerous places of all for a motorcyclist is also impossible to avoid while riding

Intersections. How many of them do you go through on the average trip through town or beyond?  The vast majority of motorcycle collisions happen at intersections. Imagine that you’re on a motorcycle, turning left when a much bigger, heavier vehicle such as a car or truck comes barreling through and hits you. These kinds of accidents are hard on someone in a fully enclosed vehicle, but can be absolutely devastating to someone on a bike. If the person who hit you did so out of negligence or recklessness, you may be due a substantial payout for your injuries and losses from the at-fault party. How will you find out? Reading the article is a great place to start.

Everett-Bellingham WA
Being hit from behind on a motorcycle can have devastating consequences

Being hit from behind on a motorcycle can have devastating consequences

It’s not always so cut and dry who is at fault in a rear-end collision. Usually it’s the fault of the driver who was following behind. Sometimes it’s easy to determine, but other cases have other complications. The insurance companies, you can rest assured, have a group of people whose job it is to find loopholes where there is a gray area. And just about every case has some gray area. So what do you do if you have been hit by someone from  behind when you were on a motorcycle? Find out here.

Most recent accident reports

17-year-old twins Janeah and Janesah Goheen dead and two others injured in accident on Hwy 20 in Anacortes on Oct 31

The Oct. 31 crash on Highway 20 that killed one Oak Harbor teenager near Anacortes has now claimed the life of her twin sister.

Date: 
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Roadway: 
Highway 20
City: 
Anacortes, WA
Type: Car Accident
Topics: 
Accident Topics: Teenaged Drivers - Young Adult Drivers

Wesley B. Martin, 39 and Angela Rodrick, 18, dead in collision on SR-548 in Ferndale on Oct 22

The driver of a pickup truck was attempting to pass a tractor-trailer in heavy fog on State Route 548 early Tuesday when he plowed head-on into an oncoming car, killing himself and the 18-year-old woman driving the car, the Washington State Patrol

Date: 
Monday, October 21, 2013
Roadway: 
Highway 548
City: 
Ferndale, WA
Type: Car Accident
Topics: 
Weather Conditions

Desirae Garrison-Jones killed in crash on W Badger Rd in Lynden on Oct 4

A Whatcom County man has been sentenced to almost two years in prison for causing a crash that killed a teenage girl in October on West Badger Road.

Date: 
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Roadway: 
West Badger Road
City: 
Lynden, WA
Type: Car Accident
Topics: 
Rollover

Inna Reva dead and Leonid Shintar injured in crash at Van Wyck Rd and Hannegan Rd in Bellingham on Sept 21

A Bellingham woman was killed and her passenger was injured in a two-car crash this morning north of Bellingham.

Date: 
Friday, September 20, 2013
Roadway: 
Unknown
City: 
Bellingham, WA
Type: Car Accident
Topics: 
Seat Belt Usage

Gaytor Donald Unick dies in crash on I-5 Grandview Rd exit in Ferndale on Aug 15

Bellingham and Whatcom County are growing in population, and with this growth comes increases in traffic, congestion, and accidents.

Date: 
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Roadway: 
Interstate 5 Grandview Road off-ramp
City: 
Ferndale, WA
Type: Car Accident

Toddler Jack Joseph Kelley killed in lawn-mowing accident north of Ferndale on July 13

A Whatcom County toddler was killed this weekend when his grandfather accidentally backed over him with a riding lawn mower.

Date: 
Friday, July 12, 2013
Roadway: 
Unknown
City: 
Ferndale, WA
Type: Other Type of Accident

Abraham Guerrero dies in motorcycle accident near the Northwest Ave exit of I-5 in Bellingham on July 8

An 18-year-old motorcyclist was killed late Monday when he slammed into a cable barrier along Interstate 5 at high speed. Troopers responded to the scene, in the northbound lanes of I-5 in Whatcom County, at about 10:45 p.m.

Date: 
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Roadway: 
Interstate 5
City: 
Bellingham, WA
Type: Motorcycle Accident
Topics: 
Accident Topics: Teenaged Drivers - Young Adult Drivers

Man injured in explosion in the 8300 block of Golden Valley Blvd in Kendall on June 12

What personal injury victims need to know:

Date: 
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Roadway: 
8300 block of Golden Valley Boulevard
City: 
Kendall, WA
Type: Other Type of Accident

6-year-old boy injured in fall from second-story window at 1840 Main St in Lynden on June 11

Date: 
Monday, June 10, 2013
Roadway: 
1840 Main Street
City: 
Lynden, WA
Type: Other Type of Accident

Scott Allen Monaghan, 45, found dead due to ATV crash on Cronk Rd off of Hwy 542 in Deming on June 10

A Deming man was killed in an ATV crash on a gravel road in woods north of the Mount Baker Highway. The Bellingham Herald reports it's not clear when the crash occurred but the body of 45-year-old Scott Allen Monaghan was found Monday morning.

Date: 
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Roadway: 
Cronk Road
City: 
Deming, WA
Type: Other Type of Accident
Topics: 
ATV/UTV Accident, High-Speed/Excessive Speed

Ramon Garcia, 21, dies in car crash on Lakeway Drive in Bellingham, Washington

Ramon Garcia died after striking a utility pole on Lakeway Drive. Troopers believe that speed was the primary factor, and that drugs and alcohol were not involved. Garcia was studying visual journalism at Western Washington University.

Date: 
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Roadway: 
Lakeway Drive
City: 
Bellingham, WA
Type: Car Accident
Topics: 
Overcorrection, High-Speed/Excessive Speed

Bruce White and Neville Kumar injured in crash on Slater Road in Ferndale on May 3

The things that you need to know about an accident with a drunk driver

Date: 
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Roadway: 
Slater Road near the bridge over the Nooksack River
City: 
Ferndale, WA
Type: Car Accident

Three adults and two children injured in a three car crash in Nooksack on January 4

The driver of a southbound Chevrolet Blazer — Norberto Bravo-Vasquez, 56 — didn’t stop at the intersection with a two-way stop at Van Buren Road and slammed into an Acura headed west at 11:24 a.m., said Washington State Patrol Trooper Keith Leary.

Date: 
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Roadway: 
East Badger Road
City: 
Nooksack, WA
Type: Car Accident

Debra G. Peterson strikes two cyclists with her car in Sumas on January 26; Steven Waterman, 36, killed and Daniel McKay, 51 injured

A driver suspected of being under the influence of prescription drugs hit two bicyclists, killing one of them, then drove off after initially stopping at the crash scene.

Date: 
Friday, January 25, 2013
Roadway: 
Highway 547
City: 
Kendall, WA
Type: Bicycle Accident

Boy, 7, hit by bus near Ferndale on January 10

A seven-year-old boy has been airlifted to Harborview Medical Center after being struck by a bus Thursday. The boy was a passenger on the bus and got off at Lummi Shore Drive near Ferndale.

Date: 
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Roadway: 
Lummi Shore Drive
City: 
Ferndale, WA
Type: Pedestrian Accident