PORT TOWNSEND — The decision to place a 4-year-old girl’s car seat in the center position in the backseat might have saved her life in a crash last week, photographs taken by East Jefferson Fire Rescue show.
Authorities said the car driven by Kevin Sterling, 33, of Quilcene was traveling at a high speed north on Center Road two miles from Chimacum when it went into a 100-yard-skid, crossed the road and became airborne for about 50 feet before landing in the middle of the woods, according to police reports.
Sterling’s daughter, Kylie, 4, was the only passenger in the car.
East Jefferson Fire-Rescue Public Information Officer Bill Beezley took several pictures of the wreckage and the crash scene, and discovered that two trees had markings that corresponded with large dents in the roof of the car that extended down to the top of the front seats.
The raised area between the dents corresponded to where the child’s seat was positioned in the center of the backseat, and the seat is visible in the pictures.
That caused Beezley to conclude that at one point the car was perpendicular to the ground.
Jefferson County Community Network Program Manager Ann Dean said that child-safety experts recommend that the center of the backseat as the safest location for a child’s seat if there is only one child in the car.
The driver made a correct decision in this case, she said.
The girl suffered critical head and arm injuries along with possible internal injuries, while the driver had a closed head injury, Beezley said.
Both were airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department is still investigating the incident and has nothing additional to report, Detective Joe Nole said Monday.
All reports are being forwarded to the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, which will decide what charges, if any, to seek in connection with the crash.
Vehicular assault can be charged if a car is operated in a reckless manner, under the influence of drug or alcohol or with disregard for the safety of others and causes substantial bodily harm to another, according to state law.
“A lot of mathematical aspects will need to be calculated before we determine which charges will be filed,” said Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Chris Ashcraft.
“We are now waiting for that information.”
Both Sterling and his daughter spent more than eight hours in the emergency room on Thursday, but were both discharged Saturday, according to the hospital.
There has been no answer or answering machine pickup at a phone listed in Sterling’s name for several days.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
