OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — Two vehicles collided on U.S. Highway 101 along Lake Crescent on Tuesday morning, Olympic National Park officials said.
No serious injuries were reported.
However, a 16-year-old passenger was trapped in a car for about an hour before being rescued. Traffic was backed up in both directions until the road was finally cleared at 1:15 p.m.
“It was a fairly significant accident,” said Jordan Pollack, the park’s fire engine boss at Lake Crescent, who was first to respond to the incident along with park rangers.
The crash occurred at milepost 225, about one mile west of Lake Crescent Lodge.
While the cause of the collision is still being investigated, a primary factor appeared to be the wet road, said Barb Maynes, Olympic National Park spokesperson.
“There was a lot of oil built up on the highway over the busy weekend,” Maynes said.
“That, combined with the first rain in a few days, created a slippery surface.”
Car lost control
Just before 11 a.m., a two-door Volkswagen sedan carrying two 16-year-old boys was heading east when the car apparently went onto the right shoulder, Maynes said.
The driver overcorrected his steering, she added, causing the car to fishtail and end up in the westbound lane.
Brian Russell, 49, of Sequim was driving his truck — which was towing a boat — westbound when he saw the skidded-out car in the lane ahead of him.
“[Russell] was able to slow down to around 20 mph before he made impact with the passenger side of the car,” Maynes said.
The driver of the sedan — whose name wasn’t released by park officials because he is a minor — escaped without injury.
