Confused squirrel causes three-car accident
June 25, 2008 · Updated 2:08 PM
"Why did the squirrel cross the road?That was the question three motorists were asking Saturday morning after a three-car accident on Highway 525 near Coles Road. At about 10:15 a.m., Marilyn Collings, 65, of Mercer Island made a sudden stop in her Geo Prism in the northbound lane of the highway to avoid running down a squirrel that had run into the roadway. According to the Island County Sheriff's Office, the stop caused the two cars directly behind Collings to collide.South Whidbey resident James Freitays, 49, was able to stop his 1978 Chevrolet pickup truck in time to avoid a rear-end collision with Collings. However, a 1993 Mustang driven by Lake Stevens' Ronald Ostby, 47, was not so lucky. According to the sheriff's office, Ostby was behind Freitay's vehicle and collided with the pickup truck's bumper when the squirrel brought traffic to a halt.Ostby and his passengers, Patty Snider, 36, Chayanne Ostby, 4, and Betty Snider, 13, were unhurt in the crash even though the Mustang's airbag did not deploy. All were wearing seatbelts.The Mustang suffered the only significant damage in the accident. None of the other drivers or their passengers were injured. The squirrel survived the ordeal unscathed. "
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