Roadway incidents close U.S. Highway 101

A 61-year-old Sequim woman died in a single-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 101 just east of Sequim Monday evening, one of three incidents on the highway on Aug 7.

“The traffic volumes are very high …[and] numerous drivers voiced their frustration with our crews as they performed traffic control to ensure responder and patient safety,” said Chris Turner, battalion chief with Clallam County Fire District 3.

At about 6:45 p.m., Linda M. Hopkins was heading eastbound and nearing Louella Road and, according to a Washington State Patrol report, continued straight when the roadway curved to her left. Hopkins’ 2001 Volkswagen Jetta left the roadway between the guardrail and the ditch, then over an embankment, dropping about 40 feet and landing on its roof.

Hopkins was found dead at the scene. She was not wearing a seatbelt, according to the State Patrol.

Fire District 3 personnel responded to the scene at about 6:51 p.m., reporting that the vehicle was on its top and they were attempting to contact the driver. District crews stabilized the vehicle from sliding further down the embankment using a combination of telescoping cribbing and ratchet tie-down straps.

Crews used a 30-foot ladder slide, extrication tools, a stokes rescue basket and rope rigging in the rescue plan, they said.

Washington State Patrol shut down the highway in both directions and there were no alternate routes available to divert traffic around the incident, fire district officials said. Sequim Police Department and Clallam County Sheriff Deputies assisted with traffic control and communications.

Sequim woman airlifted

Earlier the same day, a collision between a logging truck and SUV closed U.S. Highway 101 near Gardiner.

Lois S. Frisch, 81, of Sequim, was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle by LifeFlight following the three-vehicle crash at about 11:26 a.m.

According to a Washington State Patrol report, Frisch was on the right shoulder attempting to merge on to U.S. Highway 101 but failed to yield, colliding with a truck driven by 45-year-old Tyson J. Lohman of Carbonado. His truck then struck a third vehicle driven by Hannah M. Hendrickson, 23, of Port Angeles.

Frisch’s vehicle came to rest off the roadway, while the truck wound up partially blocking a lane and the third vehicle came to rest in a ditch.

The log truck was still positioned across the highway with numerous logs having spilled onto the roadway, according to Fire District 3 officials.

The roadway was blocked for about 90 minutes, the State Patrol reported.

LifeFlight landed on the closed highway, in front of the Discovery Bay RV park and took Frisch to Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett. Her condition was not immediately available by press time.

Lohman, a 14-year-old passenger in the truck and Hendrickson were uninjured in the crash.

Each of those involved were wearing seatbelts, according to the State Patrol.

Along with five Fire District 3 crews and a battalion chief, several other entities were on scene including Olympic Ambulance, Washington State Patrol, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Washington state Department of Transportation.

Third wreck

As the log truck incident was being cleared and the highway just opened, Turner reports that two vehicles were involved in another collision near the three-vehicle wreck.

He said vehicles were backed up along the highway and this collision caused the airbags to deploy in the two vehicles, however no injuries were reported as the drivers and passengers were not transported for medical care.

Photo by Jared Romberg / A LifeFlight helicopter arrives on the scene of a three-vehicle wreck on US. Highway 101 on Aug. 7.

Photo courtesy Clallam County Fire District 3/ First responders prevent a vehicle from sliding further down an embankment after it went off U.S. Highway 101 Monday evening. Its driver, a 61-year-old Sequim woman, died in the crash.