BEAVER — A collision killed a 70-year-old Forks woman after she turned into the path of a dump truck from Maxfield Road onto U.S. Highway 101 near Beaver, the State Patrol said Tuesday, correcting information it had released on Monday.
Initial information from Trooper Gill Vandenkooy, State Patrol public information officer, erroneously said that both the vehicle driven by Carol L. Cook and a semi-truck driven by Michael Rondeau, 21, were on Maxfield Road.
That account was published in Tuesday’s PDN. It was incorrect, the State Patrol said Tuesday. The agency sent out a memo Tuesday after the Peninsula Daily News had requested it. Generally, State Patrol memos are sent out the same day; this one had been delayed.
Instead, Cook was turning from Maxfield Road onto southbound Highway 101, and Rondeau, who was in a dump truck rather than a semi-truck, was traveling southbound on Highway 101, the State Patrol said Tuesday.
After Cook turned in front of Rondeau, she drove slowly, the State Patrol said, and Rondeau, who was traveling at a usual highway rate of speed, was unable to avoid hitting her, according to the State Patrol’s revised report.
This statement was corroborated by Trooper Brandon Johanson, who was the trooper on the scene after the collision occurred at about 9:48 a.m. Monday, in a telephone interview.
Maxfield Road is known as a blind corner, a resident of the area has said.
“Because her vehicle was traveling at a slower rate of speed than the truck, the truck closed the distance and collided with the rear end of her vehicle rapidly, accelerating her and pushing her into the ditch,” Vandenkooy said.
Despite life-saving efforts, Cook died at the scene.
Cook was wearing a seat belt and Rondeau was not, according to the State Patrol memo.
The cause of the wreck remains under investigation, Johanson said. No charges are being contemplated, according to the State Patrol memo released Tuesday.
