A car carrying a couple in their late 80s and a third passenger veered into oncoming traffic on 19th Avenue Southeast in Everett on Friday morning, striking multiple vehicles before flipping and crashing into a pole.
Both front-seat passengers, the man and woman in their late 80s, were pronounced dead at the scene.
The collision happened around 11:30 a.m. when a vehicle traveling southbound on 19th Avenue Southeast crossed into the northbound lanes, according to the Everett Police Department.
The car struck multiple vehicles before flipping and crashing into a pole. Police confirmed a total of four cars were involved in the crash.
“This is a severe and tragic collision,” said Officer Natalie Given with Everett Police.
The backseat passenger was transported to Providence Hospital. The condition of that passenger remains unknown.
At least one other person from the other vehicles involved was also taken to the hospital, Given said Friday.
Witnesses of the crash described it as chaotic and said they believed it happened in less than 30 seconds.
“I saw it whilst I was walking by,” Hasan Saehoud said. “It was fairly loud. It was quite crazy to see.”
Saehoud added that accidents, especially of this severity, don’t typically happen in this intersection.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation by Everett Police Traffic Safety Detectives.
After being closed for several hours, 19th Avenue Southeast reopened to traffic shortly before 4:30 p.m.
The elderly couple dying in the front seats whilst a backseat passenger survived suggests the front of the vehicle absorbed the most severe impact forces. Modern cars are designed to protect occupants through crumple zones that absorb energy, but frontal and side impacts remain the most deadly.
The ages of the deceased, late 80s, raise questions about whether a medical emergency caused the driver to lose control and veer into oncoming traffic. Elderly drivers face increased risks of heart attacks, strokes, seizures, or other sudden medical events that can render them unable to control vehicles.
The vehicle crossing into oncoming lanes on a straightaway rather than during a turn suggests either a medical emergency, distraction, or mechanical failure rather than a typical loss of control from speed or weather conditions.
The car striking multiple vehicles before flipping indicates the collision happened at significant speed and involved sequential impacts. Each collision would have slowed the vehicle whilst changing its trajectory, with the cumulative forces eventually causing it to overturn.
The flip and crash into a pole represent the final violent events after the initial collisions with other vehicles. Poles, being fixed objects, transfer massive force to vehicles that strike them, often causing severe occupant injuries even in vehicles with modern safety features.
Four cars involved means at least three other vehicles were struck by the car that crossed into oncoming traffic. Drivers in the northbound lanes had no warning and no time to avoid a vehicle suddenly appearing in their path.
The less-than-30-seconds duration witnesses described reflects how quickly multi-car collisions unfold. Drivers in multiple vehicles went from routine Friday morning errands to being involved in a fatal crash in half a minute.
The 11:30 a.m. timing places the crash during mid-morning when traffic is typically moderate rather than rush hour congestion. The northbound lanes likely had multiple vehicles traveling at normal speeds, increasing the severity of head-on or near-head-on impacts.
The backseat passenger’s unknown condition being treated at Providence Hospital could range from minor injuries to critical trauma. Backseat passengers in vehicles that flip often suffer injuries from being thrown around the interior despite seatbelt use.
At least one person from the other vehicles being hospitalised demonstrates that even being struck by an out-of-control vehicle, rather than crossing into oncoming traffic yourself, can cause serious injuries.
The “severe and tragic collision” description from Officer Given reflects both the deaths and the multi-vehicle nature creating numerous victims beyond just the occupants of the car that crossed lanes.
Saehoud witnessing the crash whilst walking by means he saw the entire sequence, from the car veering into oncoming traffic through the final crash into the pole. That visual trauma, watching people die violently, will likely stay with him.
His observation that accidents of this severity don’t typically happen at this intersection suggests 19th Avenue Southeast is generally a safe road without a history of major crashes. The unusual nature makes this collision stand out to locals.
The Traffic Safety Detectives investigating will examine whether the elderly driver experienced a medical emergency, whether there were mechanical failures, or whether driver error caused the vehicle to cross into oncoming traffic. They’ll also review any available surveillance or dashcam footage.
The several-hour closure until 4:30 p.m. gave investigators time to document the scene, measure skid marks, photograph vehicle positions, and reconstruct the sequence of events. Multi-vehicle fatal crashes require extensive investigation before roads can reopen.
The couple in their late 80s likely lived full lives together and died together in an instant. Whether they were heading to medical appointments, running errands, or visiting family, their Friday morning ended in tragedy that also affected multiple other families whose vehicles were struck.
