Driver’s Failure to Yield Destroys WSP Car, Injures Trooper

Washington State Patrol authorities say failure to yield was the cause of a two vehicle crash on Monday near Selah that sent the driver and a Trooper to a Seattle hospital.

44-year-old Angela Hall was driving in front of a patrol car driven by Trooper Seth Berghhoff, 38, on North Wenas Road, around 4:20pm.

Berghhoff was responding with lights and sirens deployed to separate collision. Instead of pulling over to the right onto the shoulder, Hall abruptly slowed and turned left onto Nagler Road one mile north of Selah.

Berghhoff's car struck Hall's vehicle in the rear despite attempting to slow and maneuver around her. He was traveling at a high rate of speed. The result of the crash sent his car off the road, he was trapped inside and EMS had to use a variety of saws and tools to extricate him.  Both Hall and Berghhoff were taken to Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle but are expected to fully recover.

Likely Hall will be cited for failing to pull over and yield right of way to an emergency vehicle in the process of responding to a call.