Driver hurt in crash at notorious South End intersection

A vehicle crash put a van into a ditch and sent one driver to Whidbey General Hospital at the intersection of Bush Point and Mutiny Bay roads late Wednesday.

A vehicle crash put a van into a ditch and sent one driver to Whidbey General Hospital at the intersection of Bush Point and Mutiny Bay roads late Wednesday.

Along Bush Point Road, the driver of a full-size, four-door pickup truck passed the stop sign and T-boned a conversion van at about 4:45 p.m. The impact sent the van rolling on its side a few times until it ended in the ditch.

The driver of the van was OK and exited the vehicle on his own and refused treatment, Island County Fire District 3 officials said.

The driver of the truck was sent to Whidbey General with some injuries, which Deputy Chief Mike Cotton said were not life-threatening.

There were no passengers in either vehicle.

“Fortunately, the injuries were relatively minor,” he said.

The truck impacted the passenger side of the van, thus avoiding direct collision with the driver. Airbags in the truck deployed and cushioned the woman from much of the impact.

“Her truck did its job and protected the driver,” Cotton said.

The intersection is notorious for its danger. Cotton said several fatalities occurred at that intersection the past few years.

Bush Point Road has a 50 mph speed limit and Mutiny Bay Road is 35 mph coming to the intersection. Cotton said there may be visibility issues with that area.