A 24 year old Olympia man settled a dangerous-highway-design lawsuit against the Washington State Department of Transportation for $2 million. The man was critically injured when his motorcycle hit a car turning left onto the controversial intersection at Lynch Road and SR 101 near Shelton. After two months in the hospital and 15 surgeries, the man is still recovering from the April 2006 accident. This was the 29th collision at this intersection since a state DOT study recommended fixing the deadly highway.
Local safety officials and state studies have documented the dangers of the intersection for more than a decade. The state recommended closure of the southbound left turn from Lynch Road onto SR 101 following an April 2001 DOT study. The report favored construction of a new county road east of SR 101 to run parallel to the highway. Recommendations have been made and planning done but action has yet to be taken.
Source: www.advisen.com