Woman injured, pet dog killed in 4-vehicle Kitsap Co. crash
KINGSTON, Wash. - A 23-year-old woman was injured and her dog was killed Sunday afternoon in a four-vehicle rollover crash on a rural Kitsap County highway near Kingston, officials said.
State troopers and medics responded to the scene, on Highway 104 just east of Ritter Lane, at about 12:25 p.m. after receiving a report of a serious crash, said Michele Laboda of North Kitsap Fire & Rescue.
Arriving on scene, they found a 2006 Chevy Malibu upside down, with the 23-year-old woman trapped inside. It had come to rest against a 2009 Hyundai Sonata that was also involved in the crash.
Firefighters stabilized the Malibu and were able to quickly extricate the woman from the car, then rushed her to Harrison Hospital in Bremerton.
Her dog was found on the side of the roadway. Laboda said it appeared the dog was either ejected during the crash or crawled out following the accident.
An investigation found that the Malibu head been heading west on Highway 104 behind a 1995 Dodge Ram pickup, the Washington State Patrol reported. When the pickup stopped to make a left turn into a driveway, the Malibu rear-ended the pickup then swerved to the left into the oncoming lane of traffic.
The Malibu then slammed into an approaching 2012 Ford F350 pickup towing a 28-foot camper trailer. The impact of the crash caused the Malibu to roll over against the Hyundai Sonata, which had been heading east behind the Ford pickup and trailer.
The occupants of all the other vehicles were uninjured, but all of the vehicles sustained damage.
The State Patrol says alcohol and drugs were not a factor in the crash. Possible charges are pending against the driver of the Malibu.
The highway was closed for about an hour and a half after the crash.
State troopers and medics responded to the scene, on Highway 104 just east of Ritter Lane, at about 12:25 p.m. after receiving a report of a serious crash, said Michele Laboda of North Kitsap Fire & Rescue.
Arriving on scene, they found a 2006 Chevy Malibu upside down, with the 23-year-old woman trapped inside. It had come to rest against a 2009 Hyundai Sonata that was also involved in the crash.
Firefighters stabilized the Malibu and were able to quickly extricate the woman from the car, then rushed her to Harrison Hospital in Bremerton.
Her dog was found on the side of the roadway. Laboda said it appeared the dog was either ejected during the crash or crawled out following the accident.
An investigation found that the Malibu head been heading west on Highway 104 behind a 1995 Dodge Ram pickup, the Washington State Patrol reported. When the pickup stopped to make a left turn into a driveway, the Malibu rear-ended the pickup then swerved to the left into the oncoming lane of traffic.
The Malibu then slammed into an approaching 2012 Ford F350 pickup towing a 28-foot camper trailer. The impact of the crash caused the Malibu to roll over against the Hyundai Sonata, which had been heading east behind the Ford pickup and trailer.
The occupants of all the other vehicles were uninjured, but all of the vehicles sustained damage.
The State Patrol says alcohol and drugs were not a factor in the crash. Possible charges are pending against the driver of the Malibu.
The highway was closed for about an hour and a half after the crash.
It should also be noted that I am trying to convince WSDOT to lower the speed limit from the intersection of Bond and 104 to Wolfe from 50mph to 40mph. There are many blind corners and driveways on that stretch of road and during school months there are always School Bus's dropping kids off.
I was going the posted speed limit and as i came around the corner on 104 there was a pickup either stopped or going very slow, I reacted as quickly as i could but there just wasn't anytime for me to be able to stop. If i had gone to the right i would have gone flying off an embankment and gone straight into a large grouping of trees.
Â
The state Patrol has found me not at fault for the accident and as I have said before, I was not impaired in anyway, I was not speeding, texting nor was Sid on my lap. He normally is buckled in but the decision to take him with me was last minute and it was only because he slipped through the door and came running out after me. I was planning on stopping at streibels to get him his doggie cookie and then buckle him in like I almost always do. Sadly I didn't make it there,
Â
For everyone else who is judging me or accusing me of doing something dangerous or illegal you were not there, you did not experience the heart wrenching loss of my dog who for all intensive purposes was my child. I was trapped in that car for 15 minutes and the entire time i was trying to get out to find him. When i heard the other people at the scene talk about it i became inconsolable and hysterical.
Â
I am a responsible driver and anyone who knows me, which is most of the town of kingston, knows that Sid was my life, my child and my best friend. I saved him from being euthenized when he was only 2 years old, I went into debt to have his little patella fixed and I will always regret taking him in the car with me.
Â
Please try to honor the memory of Sid and know he was loved as much as it is possible to love anyone.
poor dog, he did nothing wrong
check her cell phone ....Â
This is why having your pet seatbelted in is a good idea. Both of my dogs have harness that are attached to the clippings in the seat. Thus they are secure and not free to roam. With out being secure in the vehicle the dog becomes a projectile. Sad, my thoughts are with the driver at the lost of her pet. Please next time use a safety harness to secure.
I used to drive HWY 104 regularly during my commutes between Bangor <Silverdale> and Everett. People are often in a hurry driving too fast and passing on the curves to make the Kingston Ferry.  Â
The corner in the picture? Looks pretty dicey. What's the speed limit there?
I was the driver of the Malibu and as i came around a blind corner at the speed limit, the pickup was almost at a complete stop. I had almost no Control over the direction of the car and if i had gone right I would have flown off the embankment and into quite a few huge trees. My poor poor dog, Sidney, was in the backseat and I am heartbroken at the loss of him. As anyone can tell you at the scene I was trying to escape that car for the entire time screaming about my dog, trying to get to him.
Â
While I understand all your frustration for the accident and for what happened to Sidney, please understand that you were not there and I was.
@MENelsen Was the pickup attempting a left turn against a yellow line in the road? Last I checked it was illegal to cross a yellow line even for a turn although vehicles seem to do it all the time along 104 and Hiway 3 in Kitsap.Â
Â
I hope you weren't badly hurt.
 @mkelleyftb  @MENelsen I was going the posted speed limit and as i came around the corner on 104 there was a pickup either stopped or going very slow, I reacted as quickly as i could but there just wasn't anytime for me to be able to stop. If i had gone to the right i would have gone flying off an embankment and gone straight into a large grouping of trees.
Â
The state Patrol has found me not at fault for the accident and as I have said before, I was not impaired in anyway, I was not speeding, texting nor was Sid on my lap. He normally is buckled in but the decision to take him with me was last minute and it was only because he slipped through the door and came running out after me. I was planning on stopping at streibels to get him his doggie cookie and then buckle him in like I almost always do. Sadly I didn't make it there,
Â
For everyone else who is judging me or accusing me of doing something dangerous or illegal you were not there, you did not experience the heart wrenching loss of my dog who for all intensive purposes was my child. I was trapped in that car for 15 minutes and the entire time i was trying to get out to find him. When i heard the other people at the scene talk about it i became inconsolable and hysterical.
Â
I am a responsible driver and anyone who knows me, which is most of the town of kingston, knows that Sid was my life, my child and my best friend. I saved him from being euthenized when he was only 2 years old, I went into debt to have his little patella fixed and I will always regret taking him in the car with me.
Â
Please try to honor the memory of Sid and know he was loved as much as it is possible to love anyone.
 @MENelsen I am so sorry for the loss of your dog. I know for me that my dogs are like family and when one passes it is extremely difficult. Combine that with the stress of having been in the accident I imagine you feel like you have been put through the ringer. I hope if you have any injuries that you make a speedy recovery, and again, I am so sorry about your dog.
I'm sorry for the loss of your dog - truly I am. Next time, seatbelt or crate and seatbelt your dog in. This will prevent this type of loss and horror for you. Too many of my friends when I was young did none of this and all lost their pets or the pets suffered greatly and had to be euthanized and all it would take is a safety step. I hope you're doing okay after this crash as well. Take care.
I can sympatize with you there. That right hand corner just past the garden place is kinda a blind corner with the speed limit at 50 mph, if i recall correctly. If i came around that corner at 50 mph and there was a stopped vehicle...i could see the same thing happening.
Â
someone signaling probably wouldn't have made a difference with the 50 mph to full stop.
Was the left turning truck signaling?Â
Â
Was there a lower recommended speed at that corner. For example, if the speed limit is 35 there is often a yellow sign giving a recommended speed because it's a blind corner.Â
Â
I live right next to a 90 degree turn in the roadway. Sometimes I come around and have to stop to turn left onto my street if a car is coming towards me. I always watch my mirror because someone will be hot dogging around that corner (usually a high school kid). Luckily haven't been hit yet.
Â
Drive defensively.
Â
Sorry about your dog. I know mine are an integral part of my family unit.
Okay, the woman hurt, with the dog, should be cited. Sad her bad driving (per the article) caused the death of her dog and her to wreck 3 other cars. It's very lucky she didn't kill PEOPLE because she swerved into oncoming traffic while trying to avoid rear ending someone.
Â
I'm sad for the dog. I'm not sad for the bimbo 23 yo driver. Thank goodness she was the only person hurt since she caused this, and thank goodness it was her dog that got killed and not one of the other innocent drivers. Still, sad for the dog.
 @super Please see my response to mkelleyftb, As i have stated before i was found not at fault for the accident, the truck that I hit was around a blind corner, either stopped or barely moving and I had no time to stop.
Â
Sid was not on my lap, I was not texting I was not speeding and I was paying attention. Also please don't assume that just because I am 24 (not 23 as stated) and had a little dog that makes me a bimbo.
Â
That amazing little dog was a rescue that was about to be put to sleep at the age of 2 when I got him. I spent all my free time helping him to overcome his fear and hatred of children and men that abused him. He just received his therapy certification and was about to start helping people.
Â
everyone please stop accusing me of all these things and try to remember that it was me who was in this accident and who lost her best friend not you.
Dog speed Pup. Dog speed.
That poor, poor dog. People are getting reckless on the roads. Everybody who is driving recklessly, please ask yourself if it's worth your life or the life of someone else.
Another case of not paying attention? Following too closely?
I almost got rear ended today by a Ford 150 driving way too fast and in a hurry. He changed lanes by cutting off the car behind me and squeezing in between the two of us, all to catch the on ramp to I-5 one car length closer.
Â
What a jerk.
Â
Too bad for the puppy in this accident.Â
I'm sorry that the woman is hurt and I hope she makes a full recovery, and I really hope that the poor dog didn't suffer.
Â
It sounds to me like she was following too closely, and does deserve to be cited for the crash.
OK, now what happened?????
 @Heisenberg Possibly, if you read the article three times, you'll get it. If not, try taking a class in reading comprehension.
RIP little doggie and healing thoughts to the driver.
Ok, let's take bets that this was a case of another one of these folks (mostly women but some men too) driving around town and on the freeway with a freakin 'lap dog' (usually the 'yappy old lady dog' type, such as a Pomeranian, Lhasa Apso, Shitzu or Chihuahua..something like that) that should have been left at home instead of sitting on the driver's friggin lap while driving down the road. You've all seen this scenario. It's like what--it's yer friggin BABY? No, it's not--it's a dang DOG. Leave the animal at home, people!! Put the dog back down, leave it at home and freaking DRIVE!
Â
I'd put money on this.
If you'd read the comment above by the actual driver supposedly, the dog was in the backseat. However, I do agree with you about having a dog on your lap - personally I have had a couple small dogs and when they went with me, they go in a harness and get seatbelted in. I do not want the last sight of my beloved pet to be it flashing past me at 50 or more mph as a living projectile going through the windshield or through the side windows. If one truly, truly loves their pets, they will protect them in the car, or, as you say - leave them home.
 @Elaine2 If you paid attention to the time that the comments were posted you would see that @oldarmysoldier posted his comment 9 hours before @MENelsen . While I do not agree with @oldarmysoldier 's apparent hostility toward pet owners and their pets, there was no way he could have read her comment before posting his.Â
 @oldarmysoldier While I understand your frustration, and I agree with you that dogs do not belong in a person's lap while they are driving, I completely disagree with the sentiment that they need to be left at home so the person can drive.
Â
I have owned several dogs over the years varying in size from 18lbs all the way up to 130lbs and there are certainly ways to drive safely with them in the car. For our smaller dogs we actually had a car seat that was buckled into the car and had a restraining harness the kept the dogs securely in the seat. For our medium and larger dogs (which we have now) we have harnesses that hold them securley in the back seats.Â
Â
Â
 @alaska_dreamin Very much agree, the dogs get to ride - IN THE BACK SEAT - whenever I won't have to leave them in the hot sun. It's been that way with every dog, for over 40 years and 8 dogs, usually in pairs. The new pup, almost 2, likes to stick his head between the 2 front seats, but that's as fair as he gets.
@oldarmysoldier I cant agree more with you, a dog, child, makeup bag, cell phone, cup of coffee, ect do not belong on your lap.
However, my dogs are my "babies". They are a part of my family. I do take my dogs on road trips, but they are kept secure in my car, and NOT on my lap.
 @oldarmysoldier All one can do is hope that every nauseating know-it-all like you fast fades from the scene. Why don't you wait until you KNOW the cause before you display your hatred of both dogs AND people?
 @fyrefawx I saw no hatred for dogs in Old Army's statement, but for people??? People now a days are idiots.  And I can place good money fyre, that you are an idiot when you get behind the wheel of a car...  Army made a perfectly good statement, and his speculations are probably not far fetched.  So what kind of label are you going to place on me, since you have been given authority to pass judgement on people..
Â
 @oldarmysoldier While I hate to speculate, you're probably right.  I took my little lap dog in the car one day and nearly wrecked myself.  Never again will I do that unless she's caged.  Sad day for these people.  I can't believe the car flipped like that!
 @oldarmysoldier Could not agree with you more. Saw a woman at the post office yesterday with an adorable little dog... ON her lap as she drove out. She had to do all kinds of contortions to accommodate the dog on the steering wheel.  And it makes me ill to see, because their precious pup will be killed if the air bag goes off in even the smallest crash, and it will injure them as well.  But truly, the drive around like that and look around to see if everyone can see how cute their dog is on their lap. It's stupid and cruel.  Dogs should be restrained if possible.  A dog from where I work was killed years ago in a crash, went through the windshield like a missile.   They did try to ban dogs on laps, but it failed.  Sadly people have lost their common sense. Â
People are going to fast and often tailgating. Â This needs to be stopped and the drivers license should be taken away for some time even if it puts their job in jeopardy. Â I am tired of this.Â
 @None I agree, she should lose her license.
Texting more than likely....Poor dog
 @cyclops I've said it before: There's a lot of people commenting here that must be in fantastic shape because of the exercise they get jumping to conclusions!
 @Commenter87643 Rear end collisions are a result of one of two things.  One, following TOO closely.  Which is an epidemic pretty much anywhere, and two, inattentive driving or the New term Distracted driving.  A dog in a car not contained can be a distraction.  A dog on a persons lap IS a distraction. Â