Bremerton Mayor Patty Lent got into a minor car crash on Wheaton Way Wednesday afternoon, according to Bremerton police reports. About 12:15 p.m., she was driving a Nissan Leaf when she struck the back of a Ford Mustang, which in turn hit a Toyota Corolla in front of it, on the 3200 block of the road.
No injuries were reported; Lent said she was shaken up by the car’s airbag deployment.
The police report indicates that the driver of “unit 1” — Lent’s Leaf — was “reaching for a tissue” inside the car, causing the accident. The crash is being reviewed by the police department; no tickets have been issued.
Lent said afterward that she relied upon another driver to call authorities because she did not have her cell phone. She said everyone was cordial and insurance information was exchanged.
“We were all talking to one another,” she said.
Bremerton Police Chief Steve Strachan said police documented the crash as they would any other accident.
Was she given a field sobriety test or BAC? We all know how those ribbon cutting events go. Make sure also to check under the vehicle to insure there isn’t a disgruntled citizen lodged below.
Anyone seen RMParker lately?
Paradyne64: Still alive and if there is someone under her car it’s not me and I didn’t do it. Thanks for checking on my welfare though. Appreciate you my friend. LOL
Let me get this right, so the mayor was not paying attention while driving and “reached for a tissue” and caused a three car pile up? She hit the car in front of her so hard that it deployed her airbag and caused that car to slam into another car in front of it. She had no cell phone with her as she drove through the streets of Bremerton? So we can rule out, talking on a cell phone while driving or texting, really? Further questions I would like to ask are, what direction was she headed? North towards the Red light cameras at Sylvian? Was she driving within the 85th percentile speed? Does the city of Bremerton even know what the 85th percentile speed is for Wheaton Way?
One other question, Is it normal to not issue a ticket for rear ending another vehicle?
Here is her own law that she should be charged with:
10.04.034 INATTENTION TO DRIVING.
(a) It is unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle in an inattentive manner. For the purposes of this section, “inattentive manner” means the operation of a motor vehicle in such a manner which evidences a lack of the degree of attentiveness required to safely operate the vehicle under the prevailing conditions of the roadway, presence of other traffic, presence of pedestrians, presence of traffic control devices or signage, presence of property, and/or weather conditions.
(b) The offense of operating a vehicle in an inattentive manner shall be a lesser offense than, but included in, the offense of operating a vehicle in a negligent manner under RCW 46.61.525, and any person charged pursuant to RCW 46.61.525 may be convicted of the lesser offense of operating a vehicle in an inattentive manner.
(c) Violation of this section shall constitute a civil infraction subject to a penalty of one hundred twenty-four dollars ($124.00). (Ord. 5182 §1, 2012: Ord. 4314 §1, 1991)
Come on BPD you let Redflex Inc. issue rolling right hand red light tickets all day long to people that cause absolutely no harm or even any inconvienence. Yet, you don’t give the mayor a ticket for plowing into another vehicle?
My granddaughter had an almost identical accident on 12/12/13 at the north end of the bridge; however, her air bag did NOT deploy. SHE received a ticket for “Inattention To Driving”. $124 – quite a bit for a college student with a part time job. Wonder if her insurance will go up? This is her first infraction since getting her license.
Can anyone tell me what appears to be wrong with this scenario? Am I missing something?
Thanks!