A 64-year-old Port Angeles man remained in serious condition this morning at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after he was involved in a motorcycle collision in which his wife was killed.
Sharron Currie, 63, died Monday afternoon after the couple’s 1991 Harley Davidson collided with a 2006 Chevy Silverado pickup driven by a 34-year-old Sequim woman who turned in front of the motorcycle, authorities said this morning.
She was pronounced deceased at the scene on O’Brien Road east of Port Angeles shortly after 3 p.m. on July 20, Clallam County Sheriff’s Sgt. John Hollis said in a press release.
Her husband, whom authorities said was believed to be driving the 1991 Harley Davidson, was in the intensive care unit this morning at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, hospital spokeswoman Susan Gregg said.
Chief Criminal Deputy Brian King said that the investigation was continuing but also that it was not likely that criminal charges would be filed.
King said the Curries were northbound on O’Brien Road when the collision occurred.
King said the Sequim woman was southbound when she turned left in front of the couple’s motorcycle to go into the parking lot of Fairview Bible Church in the 300 block of O’Brien Road.
The Harley skidded and struck the right passenger side of her vehicle, King said.
A witness said the Harley was traveling “at a reasonable speed” estimated at 35 mph, Hollis said.
King said it did not appear the truck was being driven at an excessive speed.
King said the case remains under investigation.
“From our preliminary investigation, it appears the driver did not see the Curries, and the motorcycle and the collision occurred,” King said.
“It appears the driver of the truck failed to yield the right of way.”
Drugs or alcohol were not involved in the collision, King said.
It does not appear that criminal charges will result from the collision, he added.
Under state law, criminal negligence requires prior knowledge that an act could cause death or serious injury, he said.
According to state law, “a person is criminally negligent or acts with criminal negligence when he or she fails to be aware of a substantial risk that a wrongful act may occur and his or her failure to be aware of such substantial risk constitutes a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would exercise in the same situation.”
“We don’t believe at this time that any negligence was involved,” King said.
“Driving is a divided-attention skill, and people sometimes, they will be inattentive or they just don’t recognize when one of those many divided attentions they need to be focused on.
“Unfortunately, accidents happen, and driving is inherently dangerous, and this is an extremely unfortunate event.
“She just didn’t see the motorcycle.”