Friday’s fatal, five-car wreck on I-5 near Shoreline is a stark reminder of the danger posed by debris on our roadways. It’s also a reminder that the state has two new laws specifically targeting crashes triggered by unsecured loads that cause injury or death.
Gavin Coffee, 43, of Lake Forest Park, was killed Friday when he swerved to avoid a metal shelving unit that flew off the truck bed in front of him. Coffee’s Honda Civic was then T-boned by a Lincoln Town Car, likely killing him instantly, according to the Washington State Patrol. The Honda then hit two other cars before stopping.
The driver of the truck did not stop. A man called the WSP within an hour of the accident, claiming to be the driver. It was later determined that the man’s grandson had actually been driving the truck and he was booked into jail, although he has not been charged yet. The truck belongs to the grandfather.
In July 2005, “Maria’s Law” went into effect. The law, named for Maria Federici, makes it a gross misdemeanor if an unsecured load causes an injury or death and carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $5,000 fine. (The maximum fine for transporting unsecured loads used to be $194.)
Federici’s high-profile case in 2004 motivated her friends and family to seek the law. Federici was blinded when a piece of particle board from a home entertainment unit flew off a trailer, went through the windshield and shattered her face.
In June, a related law went into effect that makes the failure to secure a load a criminal act if it results in a death or injury, which allows victims to seek compensation from a crime victims’ fund.
It remains to be seen who officials might charge under the new laws in a case such as Friday’s. It could be the owner of the truck, the driver, or whoever loaded the items into the truck. Regardless, prosecutors must prove that the shelves were the primary cause of the fatal crash.
According the WSP, road debris causes about 350 accidents every year on state highways.
These incidents are entirely preventable, which is why the perpetrators should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of Maria’s Law. The laws of physics tell us that no matter what the load is, big or small, if it isn’t properly secured, it can and will fly out or off the vehicle. The solution is simple: Obey the laws and secure your load.
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