1 killed in crash at SW Wash. highway intersection
BATTLE GROUND, Wash. - A 17-year-old girl was killed Friday when the car she was riding in ran a flashing stop sign and was hit by a pickup, the Washington State Patrol reported. Two others were seriously injured in the collision.
State troopers responded to the scene, at the intersection of Highway 502 and NE 29th Avenue in Battle Ground, at about 2:40 p.m. Saturday after receiving a report of a serious crash.
The 17-year-old Woodland girl was found dead at the scene of the crash when troopers arrived.
An investigation found that the girl had been riding as a passenger in a 1994 Toyota Corolla being driven by Ryan L. Matison, 20, of Battle Ground.
The Corolla was speeding south on 29th Avenue and failed to stop at a flashing red light at the intersection with Highway 502, the State Patrol reported. As the car entered the intersection, it was struck by a 2006 Chevy pickup that was heading east on Highway 502.
Matison was injured in the crash, along with the driver of the pickup, who was identified as a 23-year-old Battle Ground man. Both were taken to a Portland, Ore., hospital.
Speed was the main cause of the crash, and charges are pending against Matison after he is released from the hospital, the State Patrol reported.
Alcohol and drugs were not believed to be a factor in the crash.
To those making rude comments....
I admit at first I thought badly of the boy and his carelessness...but then I thought how many times have I not come to a complete stop or how many times I have been at this intersection and not been able to see the sign until the last minute even though I've lived here for many years. Or how I drove at his age thinking I could make a turn and beat that on coming car. An accident means "to unintentionally cause harm'. I know this boy and his family and although he may be young and a fairly new driver with a crappy car, he is certainly not stupid. He did not get up that morning and think "gee I will do something stupid like kill a person who I care deeply for"! Most of us are thankful for the driving experience we have and surviving our teenage years as young drivers.
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So the next time you feel like nothing tragic will ever happen in your life because you are a perfect driver/person...please write a tell all book. Until then leave these people alone and let them mourn for the life that has been lost and the lives that have been forever changed.
Such a tragedy for the girl's family...Why did it have to be her and not the reckless driver?
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I can't believe that someone could manage to ignore those obnoxious flashing red stop signs...which are obnoxious for a reason.
My heart goes out to the girl's family. One stupid mistake can take a life. The driver should have been the one to have his life taken since he was the one stupidly speeding and blowing stop signs. I hope this girl's death torments him for the rest of his life.
Speed kills and young people don't think about the consequences of their actions. Sad.
Only when one redefines the word "Stupid" as an accident could this be called an accident. Driving too fast, several kids in a car, ignoring a stop sign and flashing red light can lead only to one thing. Someone could die and this poor girl did. Not only is she dead the driver of the truck will have to remember it for the rest of their life. No accident, kids acting stupidly and now the funeral
I know what caused this and it was an accident. I define accident as a collision involving more than one cause - even if one or more of the causes could have been controlled.
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Anyway, the "kid" was driving too fast and he must take some responsibility for that. The girl and her parents should have thought better about getting into such an inexpensive little tin car. The city should not have planted trees that blocked the view of the stop sign for approaching vehicles. The developer should not have built a road with that slight curve as it approached the tee intersection (google map it and then look at the street view to see what I'm talking about). Serious consideration should be given to left AND right side stop signs when the right stop sign is at risk of not being seen. I could go on and on about tires, drugs, inexperience, distraction, and other possible contributing causes but that would all be just speculation.
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The point is that multiple failures are at play here. Just about every guy drove a crappy car and we all drove them just about as poorly as this guy did at one point or another. Only difference is that we got lucky in that the multiple failures required for a death didn't jump up and bite us like they did this young driver, the other driver, and the poor girl and her loved ones.
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Sorry she died. I'm sure all the rest of you are as well. Rest in peace little girl.
 @dj mac Um...it's obvious to me that you haven't actually driven that road. The signs are clearly marked with flashing lights 24/7 and there is no "slight curve" in that intersection. Yes, there are trees there, but they aren't as much of a hindrance as they look when looking at Google maps, nor do they block the signs.  Â
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I have driven through this intersection going both east/west and north/south many times and it is hands down, without a doubt, one of the most dangerous intersections in Clark County. This intersection is currently part of a larger construction project that is focusing on not only widening the state route that this accident happened at, but also improving the safety.
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The part of Clark County where this accident happened is very rural. It is not within any city limits and the trees are on private property, so there is no governing body to prevent those trees from being there.
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All of the locals know that this intersection is a death trap and this is only one of many tragic accidents that has happened at this intersection. People who drive this road regularly know to drive defensively and expected the unexpected.  Â
@dj mac: Crappy car is right. Just look at it! And I'll bet the driver never intended it to end up there looking [more] crappy than usual. Blowing through a stop sign, however, doesn't have as much to do with the car as much as it does the driver.
Very sad. Reminds me of an accident that happened to my husband. He was traveling on a 45 MPH road when a 16 year old girl ran the stop sign on a cross street. Fortunately my husband was somehow able to turn his truck sideways as he stepped on the brakes and instead of t-boning her the two cars collided side to side. She came out of her truck ranting and screaming at him for not stopping (he had no stop sign). My husband just listened in shock. Meanwhile her Uncle, whose vehicle she had been following apparently, turned around and came back. When he pointed out to her that it as not a 4-way stop, the girl began shaking, burst into tears and would have collapsed if her uncle hadn't been hanging on to her. My husband was shaking too and so glad he hadn't killed her. My heart goes out to the driver of the other vehicle in this accident as well as the famiy of the girls that died.
"family of the girl"
What a horrible accident. Well, if you can call it an accident. None the less, lots of people are hurting from this. Thoughts go out to the families.Â
@Alaska316 Not an accident. Calling it an accident implies that nothing could have been done to have prevented this.
Thanksgiving really threw me off on days but this article says the accident happened at 2:40PM today, and it's only 11:35AM. What am I missing? It is Saturday, right? RIP young lady :,(
 @SoTweetie It was Friday, as stated in the first sentence.Â
@PackersCougsBravesSounders @SoTweetie The second paragraph states the accident was on Friday, and State Troopers responded at 2:40 pm on Saturday. Hence, SoTweetie's confusion. I think the article should have said troopers responded at 2:40 a.m. on Saturday.
 @Mizattitude  @PackersCougsBravesSounders  @SoTweetie No, it was 2:40pm on Friday. Look at the photos.. This isn't Alaska where it's daylight at 2:40am.Â
Hey Ryan...way to go kid. Happy holidays.Â
Did you know that even if your bumper is protruding into a crosswalk you have legally run a red light or stop sign? Good idea to slow down and pay attention.
That's how Fife makes so much money on red light cameras.
Alcohol and drugs may have not been involved but stupidity certainly was. The driver will most likely face vehicular homicide charges which will bring a number of years in Walla Walla for what he did.
 @Veteran lack of education,new driver =stupidity? or maybe adults lack teaching these young adults ? hell i got my diploma and did drivers ed, got a license to drive so do i tell the world to f off or do i help these inexperience children learn to stay alive?
Horribly tragic for the families. Â Just a reminder to fellow drivers in Washington State. Â You really do need to stop at stop signs. As I drive around every day, I'd say that 60% of people never stop at stop signs in my town. Â Those that actually stop behind the line, then pause, and go as they should, are a tiny minority of drivers. Â The others pull up to the stop sign or turn as fast as possible and will only stop if they see a car very close.. otherwise they just race thru the stop sign or turn to beat the approaching car. Â It's rampant here. Â Â Too many people figure they'll blow thru a stop sign if they don't see someone right away... unfortunately they can't see everything as they're approaching.Â