One dies, another in cricital condition after three-car collision

One man died and another was flown to a Seattle hospital following a collision that involved three vehicles, the State Patrol reports.

A 92-year-old man from Brinnon was traveling southbound at milepost 280 on U.S. Highway 101 in a 2005 Honda Accord about 5:05 p.m. Thursday when he struck the side of another vehicle and then hit a third head-on.

The Brinnon man was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he died, the State Patrol said. His name was withheld pending notification of next of kin, troopers said.

The vehicle that was hit head-on, a 2020 Jeep Gladiator pickup, went over the guardrail and came to rest down an embankment, the State Patrol said. The driver, Rockie S. Lee, 65, of Sequim also was flown to Harborview, where he was in critical condition Friday morning, hospital spokesperson Brian Donohue said.

Meanwhile, two people in a 2024 Ford Expedition — Susan T. Grube, 67, and Gary W. Grube, 67, both of Sequim — were uninjured, the State Patrol said. The Expedition came to rest on the shoulder, troopers said.

All four people involved were wearing seat belts, according to the State Patrol. Neither drugs nor alcohol were involved, troopers said. The cause was cited as a failure to maintain driving in the lane.

The Honda and the Jeep were totally destroyed and towed from the scene while the Expedition was driven from the scene with non-reportable damage, the State Patrol said.