WSP trooper seriously injured in motorcycle crash

stryker said on June 23, 2011 at 2:49 PM

WARNING: Stationary objects in front of you are closer then they appear.

SassyKat said on June 23, 2011 at 1:47 PM

There are NO accidents! There are crashes. Ask the WSP! They are the ones who use this phrase over and over again. As far as the "haters" that have to point the finger of blame all the time, GET A LIFE! When you can swear to your maker above that you've NEVER driven distracted or disengaged, then perhaps you have the right to question everyone here and point the finger. BUT, since I'm sure you can't, (I know I cannot), then SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND KEEP YOUR POINTING FINGERS TO YOURSELF! There is a gentleman in the hospital that is hurt. He is paying the consequences for his inattention. Unfortunately for the Kia Mini-Van dirver & passengers, they are also paying the price for his inattentiveness. But nothing was done on purpose. It happens! We know why it happens and we're pretty powerless to stop it as human beings! So, put your "fingers of blame" away and fold your hands and offer thanks for the well-being of all who were involved. Better use of your hands, anyway!

coyotebmw said on June 23, 2011 at 12:54 PM

Seems some people have taken exception to what I have said. First, often in the Revised Code of Washington, Law enforcement is given exception to the law. An example is RCW 46.61.608 Section 5 where in a police office can lane share "... in the performance of their official duties". As a RideCoach I look at each accident and consider all the factors that contribute to that accident. Many here on this forum seem ready to condemn the injured WSP Motor Officer, without knowing all the facts. "Ktmchick" is very correct in that the majority of motorcycle accidents are the result of the "cage" drivers (Cages are what motorcyclists call cars, because they have a metal cages, while the motorcycle rider only has his or her safety gear) who violate the riders right of way. (Hurt Study finding – “6. ... the driver of the other vehicle violated the motorcycle right-of-way and caused the accident in two-thirds of those accidents). All the facts are not in on this, let's let them do their job

Kamani1147814 said on June 23, 2011 at 12:10 PM

Been there a few times myself so I hope for a speedy recovery for WSP Officer Ramsay. My prayers go out to him and his family and WSP.

ktmchick said on June 23, 2011 at 12:08 PM

"Too bad too sad. Motorcycles offer a quick way to the the hospital or funeral home. Millions are probably paid out in insurance claims just becuse we have them. They offer little protection for the riders and have lobbied until they don't have too." I hope I never have to share the road with you and your attitude. Millions have been paid out due to inattentive and incapable drivers. The only times I have ever been even close to wrecking on my motorcycle has been when idiot, inattentive drivers are not paying attention, are putting on makeup, are talking on their cellphones or just plain do not know the rules of the road. Approximately 75% of all motorcycle accidents involve another motor vehicle, usually a passenger car. In over half of those multi-vehicle motorcycle accidents, the driver of the passenger car caused the motorcycle accident by violating the motorcyclist’s right of way. (Not saying that happened in this case.)

Momma0810 said on June 22, 2011 at 9:42 PM

OKay SInce i am a family member of those in the crash i know everything the driver in the van for one was not a fault and for two the babies in the car are fine but scared..THe Officier was at fault but it was an accident and it wasnt done on purpose.. and you guys need to just leave him alone he is in the hospital really badly hurt with glass in his eyes and all!! He got what happened to him becuase he wasnt paying attention.. I dont have hate towards him just upset becuase it could have been worse and the police need to start paying attention to things!! THats all..I bet he learned his lesson but no need to hate.. It was all an accident!! Thats it!! Driver of the van is fine and wasnt drinking nor was on his phone he was in the right and did everything he was sup;pose to..all were wearing seatbelts.. My main worry are the three in the van!! And there okay just shakin up and scared but all in time will be better the officer will never forget as he will have the scars as lesson learn!!

stilltaxed said on June 22, 2011 at 8:22 PM

Still others have had tickets issued injured or not becuase it was a rearend collision. Fact is they do it with or without facts. The same should go for troppers. Lucky no one was hurt in the vehical he struck. I'm not jumping conclusions look at the sing it says 45 they drop the speed where the traffic is. If it applies to me it applies to him its the law and should be enforced. I've seen others with no investigation and a ticket. Sorry this shouldn't be any differnt. The law applies to all if it is enforced. If theirs other factors how come its an atomatic ticket for others?

mrmotormouth said on June 22, 2011 at 4:59 PM

To those of you who are quick to jump on the WSP trooper and place the blame on him. There are many more factors involved in rear end collisions than just being the one who rear ended somebody. Let the facts play themselves out. The one thing that the State Patrol does better than most agencies is investigate accidents, regardless if it is one of their own or not. As far as those who well, lets just call them morons, think that the trooper should be cited and that there is no accountibility for any police officers involved in accidents. You could not be farther from the truth. While there may not be citations involved in some cases, the internal checks and balances of any police agency address not only if there was a traffic violation but department policy violation as well. Oh yea, and currently the trooper is in Harborview with severe injuries, looking forward to additional surgeries and months of rehab. Just to get to a point where he can try and get back to work.

juststoppingby said on June 22, 2011 at 2:52 PM

Look, I'm just saying to placing blame on either party or making un-backed claims against people most on here don't know that asking questions is better than giving your opinion. I'm not naive enough o say you will get answers but it'd be better to see people look for info rather than just giving their uninformed opinion.

matthias said on June 22, 2011 at 2:32 PM

juststoppingby said: "It seems at this point that it’s best to ask questions". Yes because the message board will answer those questions right?

juststoppingby said on June 22, 2011 at 2:24 PM

It's unfortunate so many use the comments section as their own Opinion column. It seems at this point that it’s best to ask questions, not make assumptions or place blame on either party.

stilltaxed said on June 22, 2011 at 2:07 PM

Some say not all the facts are in. Look at the picture it says it's a 45 zone. On 9 that means pay attention changes ahead. There is also a ridable shoulder, anyone that rides knows to allways have an out. The shoulder would have worked. If the wsp wants people to back them it would be to their advantage to own up to things. I have known people who were told it was an automatic ticket when you rear end someone. They had to pay the tickets. I've also known cops that owned up to things rather than hide behind momie. Lets see how this plays out. I would say lessons are in order.

rustydog said on June 22, 2011 at 1:54 PM

Too bad too sad. Motorcycles offer a quick way to the the hospital or funeral home. Millions are probably paid out in insurance claims just becuse we have them. They offer little protection for the riders and have lobbied until they don't have too.

cruzinwa said on June 22, 2011 at 1:04 PM

This will be like all other officer involved crashes, you hear about it now, but that will be the end of it. It will quietly go away like they all do. There was one out on highway 202 about 6 months ago, where the patrol car ran off the road and crashed. They had to be doing around 100 to crash where they did, but that was the end of it. While the crash is unfortunate, when you rear end a stopped vehicle, there is only one vehicle at fault, and it is not the mini van in this case, it is the trooper.

awol50 said on June 22, 2011 at 1:03 PM

RE: coyotebmw Read the article. The minivan was waiting for the car in front of him to make a left hand turn. And inattentive driving or following to closely are violations no matter which traffic lane they occur in.

awol50 said on June 22, 2011 at 12:58 PM

And when can us mere mortals expect to hear that this cop is properly cited for his numerous traffic violations? We are waiting....and waiting....and waiting. In my 45 years of driving, I have noticed that as a group, traffic police flaunt the rules of the road at least as much as us regular folks. Yakking it up on their cell phones on personal calls (I believe they all have radio phones for official use), speeding, following to close, driving over the centerline, running lights and failure to signal to name a few. So Mr. WSP commander, when can we expect this officer to receive his traffic citation?

kbbcoop said on June 22, 2011 at 12:23 PM

I bet the cops are doing everything they can to try and blame the minivan driver, even though the cop did the rear-ending. Hopefully the cop can submit to a breath test or blood test for booze/opiates, and he is awake enough to sign his ticket he should receive for following too close and negligent driving.

freedomfrank said on June 22, 2011 at 12:11 PM

The part that gets me fuming is the amount of cops that are there that don't need to be. A regular accident doesn't get that many cops there. Get back to work, your little cop buddy will be just fine.

freedomfrank said on June 22, 2011 at 12:00 PM

coyotebmw,,,, "A Kia minivan southbound on SR-9 in Clearview was stopped and waiting for a vehicle in front of it to make a left turn when Trooper Lance Ramsay struck the rear of the van, the State Patrol says." It doesn't matter where the minivan was, its the cops responsibility to maintain a SAFE distance. He didn't. No ones fault but his. If that section of road is too dangerous for cops to patrol on bikes then get them off that road. Anyone making excuses for this cop needs their head examined. Hope they did a breathalyzer on him.

Waterbug said on June 22, 2011 at 11:44 AM

"Accidents can happen to anyone, just because you've chosen a career to uphold the law doesn't mean you're superman." Well said, fremonttroll.

jdjdjdj said on June 22, 2011 at 11:20 AM

I hope he recovers, but I wonder what the comments would be if this motocyclist WASN'T a state trooper... Anyone want to venture a guess? Well, I can pretty much guarantee that people would have nothing nice to say about a biker who rear ended a stopped minivan. Maybe that he wasn't paying attention, that bikers are trouble on the road, blah, blah, blah. Just because he's an officer of the law doesn't mean he should be exempt from the law. I get so tired of watching officers breaking the laws they're supposed to be enforcing, just because they can. I do pray that this officer has a speedy recovery, but just because he's an officer doesn't mean he automatically get's a pass. Wise up, officers. Put your phones down, pay attention and unless you're on your way to a call, lay off the gas.

coyotebmw said on June 22, 2011 at 11:09 AM

Hmmm, reading some of these remarks makes you wonder what kind of people are making them. They seem quick to judge the WSP Motor Officer. Some points if you look at the images. First, the KIA was in the left hand lane of a passing lane. It was not at an intersection. Second, I my memory serves me, this is an uphill section with a long passing lane, just before the passing lane ends. Third, comments about talking on a cell phone, while riding a motorcycle demonstrate some lack of understanding of motorcycle riding physical requirements. The only way he could have been doing that is with a bluetooth setup. I suspect that the driver of the KIA did not give enough warning that they were turning. I would wonder if their turn signal was even used. This would violate RCW right there (RCW 46.61.305). Finally, most of the comments by "hrdheded1", "speeadork" and others indicate riders I would not want to be around.

freemonttroll said on June 22, 2011 at 10:14 AM

Accidents can happen to anyone, just because you've chosen a career to uphold the law doesn't mean you're superman.

wawoods said on June 22, 2011 at 9:45 AM

This is one of the very few good guys of the WSP. Send him your thoughts/prayers, not your assumptions/opinions of what happened. Nobody has the full details yet.

stryker said on June 22, 2011 at 6:44 AM

Beware of stationary objects.

freedomfrank said on June 22, 2011 at 5:19 AM

Hope he got a ticket,,,I did when I rear ended someone. Should be double too.

clear2copy said on June 21, 2011 at 10:37 PM

pure class, you all..

speeadork said on June 21, 2011 at 10:31 PM

Minivans are always trouble.....We may have to start wearing life preservers anytime we ride near them......................Hope you get better quickly so you can ride to the optometrist.

Momma0810 said on June 21, 2011 at 9:11 PM

My neice and nephew were in that car... My prayers go to the officier but my main concerned are those babies!! These officiers need to start paying attention!!! Because if those babies were hurt i would be raising hell!!! But i do hope he gets better...and i am glad my babies are okay!!

matthias said on June 21, 2011 at 6:36 PM

I never wish for law enforcement to be hurt physically but WSP motorcycle troopers are very close to being the exception.

stilltaxed said on June 21, 2011 at 6:03 PM

Following to close ticket?

Lootie said on June 21, 2011 at 5:50 PM

Let's hope he's okay.