Two Whatcom County Public Works employees hospitalized after being struck by an SUV
Two members of Whatcom County Public Works who were cutting grass along the shoulder of a Whatcom County roadway were hospitalized Tuesday afternoon after being struck by an SUV in an incident where drugs or alcohol are suspected to have been involved.
A 19-year-old Lynden man and a 20-year-old Ferndale man were taken to St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham with injuries after they were struck along Lummi Shore Road by a vehicle driven by Lio T. Redfox, 28 of Bellingham, according to the Washington State Patrol report on the crash.
Whatcom County Public Works spokesperson Marie Duckworth confirmed to The Bellingham Herald that the two men were county employees who were working at the time of the incident.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with these men, their families, those who responded to the accident, our county government family, and others affected by this,” Public Works Director Jon Hutchings said in a news release about the incident.
One of the men was treated and released from the hospital, spokesperson Bev Mayhew told The Herald in an email, while the other remained in satisfactory condition Wednesday morning.
Redfox was was driving a 2017 Toyota Highlander southbound in the northbound lane in the 3000 block of Lummi Shore Road at approximately 2:32 p.m. July 20, according to the State Patrol report, while a 2014 Dodge Ram pickup was blocking the northbound lane of the road for roadwork.
Redfox’s Highlander crossed the center line and struck a guardrail for approximately 250 feet before hitting the two men, who were cutting grass along the shoulder of the road, according to the State Patrol report. The Highlander then struck the parked truck head-on.
The Public Works employees were following safety procedures at the time of the incident, had set a work zone and were not in the roadway at the time they were hit, according to the Public Works news release, which added the department will be doing its own full investigation of the incident.
While the two men were taken to the hospital following the incident, Redfox was treated at the scene for injuries, the State Patrol report states. The report added that drugs or alcohol were believed to be involved and it was not known if Redfox or the 5- and 10-year old boys who were passengers in Redfox’s Highlander were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash. The State Patrol did not report any injuries to the two young passengers, though.
Redfox had not been booked into Whatcom County Jail as of Wednesday morning, jail records show.
Trooper Rocky Oliphant told The Herald that Redfox had his blood drawn for analysis and results are still pending. Once those results are available, Oliphant said the full report will be filed to the Whatcom County Prosecutor’s Office to determine if charges will be filed or citations issued.
This story was originally published July 21, 2021 at 8:47 AM.
