[1]Police and fire at the scene of accident on North Pearl Street in Centralia that knocked out electricity to the north. / Courtesy photo by Danielle Ziady
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
A man and woman were critically injured in a single-vehicle wreck last night at the north end of Centralia that caused a large power outage and sent them by helicopters to regional trauma centers.
Police and aid called about 10:50 p.m. to the intersection of North Pearl Street and Sawall Avenue found a pickup truck against a tree, a male passenger trapped inside and the female driver had been ejected through a window, according to responders.
Riverside Fire Authority says they are both approximately 35 years old.
It appeared the Chevrolet Avalanche was traveling southbound and very fast when it missed a corner, went broadside and rolled multiple times, before striking a stop sign, a utility pole’s guideline and then the tree, according to police and firefighters.
Initial information indicated the driver was found laying in the roadway about 30 feet away, according to Fire Capt. Scott Weinert. Crews used the Jaws of Life to extricate the passenger.
Both were transported to Providence Centralia Hospital, but helicopters from both Life Flight and Airlift Northwest were summoned to fly them to out-of-the-area hospitals, according to Weinert.
The truck was heavily damaged, according to the fire department.
Further information about the identities of the pair was not readily available. Centralia Police Department Sgt. Brian Warren said troopers from the Washington State Patrol took over the investigation. Excessive speed and alcohol are suspected, according to police.