Man dies after vehicle rolls 25 times down embankment
CARBONADO, Wash. - A 23-year-old Auburn man has died after a truck went over an embankment and rolled 25 times down a steep hill near Mount Rainier National Park in rural Pierce County, officials said.
The accident happened at about 1 a.m. Thursday at the Evans Creek off-road vehicle park, but officials did not learn about it until several hours later when a second man in the truck was able to free himself, walk into town and notify authorities.
The second man, a 21-year-old, told responders that he and his friend, the 23-year-old Auburn man, had been driving around the Evans Creek park after dark when a deer jumped in front of their truck. The truck then went off the road and down the steep embankment, rolling over about 25 times.
The 21-year-old told authorities that when the truck finally came to rest, his friend was unconscious, unresponsive and gasping for air.
The 21-year-old said he was able to get out of the vehicle, but lost his shoes in the process. He then walked barefoot for 15 miles until reaching the town of Carbonado, where he told a fire department crew about the crash.
The fire department notified East Pierce Fire & Rescue, which immediately dispatched a crew to the crash scene. They were guided there by the 21-year-old man, who by then was likely suffering from hypothermia, officials said.
But when the search-and-rescue crew arrived at the crash site, the 23-year-old Auburn man was no longer inside the truck.
At first rescuers were hopeful that he had regained consciousness and left to get help. But searchers then found a trail of blood leading from the truck to a river some distance away, where the 23-year-old was found dead.
The Pierce County medical examiner has requested that responders not disturb the body until investigators arrive on scene - meaning that the body may not be recovered until Friday.
The name of the victim was not immediately released.
The accident happened at about 1 a.m. Thursday at the Evans Creek off-road vehicle park, but officials did not learn about it until several hours later when a second man in the truck was able to free himself, walk into town and notify authorities.
The second man, a 21-year-old, told responders that he and his friend, the 23-year-old Auburn man, had been driving around the Evans Creek park after dark when a deer jumped in front of their truck. The truck then went off the road and down the steep embankment, rolling over about 25 times.
The 21-year-old told authorities that when the truck finally came to rest, his friend was unconscious, unresponsive and gasping for air.
The 21-year-old said he was able to get out of the vehicle, but lost his shoes in the process. He then walked barefoot for 15 miles until reaching the town of Carbonado, where he told a fire department crew about the crash.
The fire department notified East Pierce Fire & Rescue, which immediately dispatched a crew to the crash scene. They were guided there by the 21-year-old man, who by then was likely suffering from hypothermia, officials said.
But when the search-and-rescue crew arrived at the crash site, the 23-year-old Auburn man was no longer inside the truck.
At first rescuers were hopeful that he had regained consciousness and left to get help. But searchers then found a trail of blood leading from the truck to a river some distance away, where the 23-year-old was found dead.
The Pierce County medical examiner has requested that responders not disturb the body until investigators arrive on scene - meaning that the body may not be recovered until Friday.
The name of the victim was not immediately released.
Very sad story. I found the "25" number kinda strange though.. Who was counting? The surviving passenger? If you're in a vehicle tumbling down a ravine, do you actually keep track of the number of rolls?
@StealthActivist ... I was thinking the exact same thing! I have never been in a rollover accident (thank God!) but I can't imagine you could tell how many times you roll.Â
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Sad story all around......
No mention of seatbelt use.
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On another note that truck did not roll 25 times. It is clear that there are slide marks leading to the truck. It might have flipped twice or three times but not 25.
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His friend did the right thing in going after help and gave it the best shot he could. Walking all that way with no shoes is really a valiant effort as the one guy said.
Sometimes you have to save yourself....don't wast time, it's not on your side, get out and get moving....
tearing up the woods in their big obnoxious truck. probably drinking, deer? yeah, right...
" Arnold " you don't have the Brains to equal the pimple on a gnats a s s.
...Idiot......
My condolences to the family and friends, what a tragic site. My heart goes out to the young man who was driving as well. He's going to carry this burden with him the rest of his life. They both knew the dangers and were doing soemthing they loved. RIP
Sad to learn now that one of the men died... condolences go to his family and friends for their loss...
Man, that's a sight. Â I hope a bicyclist wasn't to blame.
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<You're not the only one who can troll, Harry>
Off-road vehicle indeed.
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Note to KOMO: Take a still cameraman with you next time. Your video captures are pizz-poor.
Wow! Condolences to the family and friends of the young man.
His companion was truly lucky to have survived.
Who counted the number of rolls?
 @SelfPossessed Probably the Police, from the impressions left in the soil.
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Almost unbelievable that either of them survived this, let alone one of them being able to hike out to get help...