Crash victim: Thick fog, elk contributed to mystery collision

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

A 50-year-old Lewis County man was finally located at his home after law enforcement personnel discovered an unoccupied  pickup truck wrecked amongst the trees yesterday morning south of Chehalis off U.S. Highway 12.

Deputies summoned just before 9:30 a.m. believed the driver must have had severe injuries because of the enormous amount of damage to the 1993 Ford Ranger, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. It appeared as though the vehicle was traveling on Meier Road and blew the stop sign at the highway, striking two trees and hitting a third tree head on, according to the sheriff’s office.

Rocky D. Briggs, 50, was finally found sleeping at his residence on the 300 block of Meier Road, with injuries to his face and chest, Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said. Firefighters called to the home about 10:40 a.m. transported him to Providence Centralia Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Lewis County Fire District 15.

It’s not clear how he got home.

Briggs told deputies it was about 4:45 a.m. when he was driving through thick fog and had to swerve to miss elk, according to Brown. Briggs was cited for hit and run with property damage as well as first-degree driving with a suspended license, Brown said.

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2 Responses to “Crash victim: Thick fog, elk contributed to mystery collision”

  1. still waiting for justice says:

    I suppose at least he had time to sleep off any thing that might have contributed to the accident? how was the BA? Don’t most people call 911 when they crash like that? unless there is a reason you don’t want 911 called-just saying

  2. ginger says:

    Wow, the guy walked? Glad he’s ok.