CLALLAM BAY — A 19-year-old woman who was one of five people involved in a single-vehicle wreck on Hoko-Ozette Road was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center at about 10 p.m. Thursday, authorities said.
The woman, who was the driver, did not appear to have life-threatening injuries, Brian King, Clallam County Sheriff’s Office Chief Criminal Deputy, said Friday.
The condition of the driver and the condition of an injured passenger who was transported to Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles were not available Friday afternoon.
The names of those involved also were not available from authorities.
The vehicle appeared to have been traveling northbound on Hoko-Ozette Road when the driver failed to negotiate a turn, cross the centerline and left the roadway, Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Shaun Minks said in a prepared statement.
The vehicle collided with a tree stump, causing it to spin into the ditch, Minks said.
Authorities believe that alcohol and excessive speed were factors in the wreck, Minks said. The Sheriff’s Office is investigating, he said.
The five occupants were between ages 16 and 21.
They said it appeared four of the five occupants were not wearing seat belts.
First responders found the vehicle in a ditch at the 1.5-mile marker on Hoko-Ozette with extensive front-end damage.
Two occupants were found outside the vehicle while three were trapped inside.
The driver was pinned between the steering wheel and the driver’s seat.
The other occupant, a male, was unconscious.
Clallam County Fire Department personnel extricated the three with emergency tools, Minks said.
All five were transported to Forks Community Hospital.
From there, the driver was airlifted to Harborview and the injured occupant of the vehicle was ground-transported to Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
