Grays Harbor County man falls asleep, crashes head-on into Seattle driver
Update: The victim in the crash reached out to The Olympian Sunday night to say they self-identify as a non-binary person. The story has been updated to reflect that change.
A 53-year-old Elma man fell asleep while driving and crashed head-on into a Seattle driver Saturday afternoon, according to Washington State Patrol.
The injured Seattle resident, 25, was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
About 1:30 p.m. Saturday, the man was headed south on state Route 109, between Aberdeen and Ocean Shores, while the Seattle resident was headed north.
Troopers say the Elma man fell asleep, drove off the road, then over-corrected his steering. He then hit a dirt embankment, came back onto the road and crashed head-on into the Seattle resident’s vehicle.
The road was closed for about four hours after the crash.
The Elma man faces a possible charge of second-degree negligent driving.
This story was originally published September 12, 2021 at 11:13 AM.
