Washington State
I slid off I82 and went through a wire fence. No other vehicle was involved. It had been snowing for about 15 or 20 minutes at the time. I was driving at the same speed as the rest of the traffic at least 15 mph slower than the posted limit.
I had been driving straight and at constant speed when the front end suddenly started sliding sideways. In calling for a tow truck, they also sent a Wash. State Patrol because of the property damage to the fence.
I was mailed a citation for this on Monday when the incident was on Friday.
In researching this, the law wording is fuzzy, i.e. "No person shall drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing."
The incident happened an hour before the officer arrived and conditions were changing by the minute as it happened before sunset and the conditions deteriorated quickly as it got dark. The officer didn't ask when the accident actually happened.
He did no investigation of the road where I started sliding.
He didn't issue the citation at the time.
He wrote down $153 for the penalty but according to IRLJ 6.2, the penalty should have been $37.
How can a person determine what speed is appropriate, either me or the officer. How can he determine what speed I was going when he wasn't there? How can a citation be issued for such a vague thing stating neither my speed nor the "safe" speed? How should I proceed with this citation?
I slid off I82 and went through a wire fence. No other vehicle was involved. It had been snowing for about 15 or 20 minutes at the time. I was driving at the same speed as the rest of the traffic at least 15 mph slower than the posted limit.
I had been driving straight and at constant speed when the front end suddenly started sliding sideways. In calling for a tow truck, they also sent a Wash. State Patrol because of the property damage to the fence.
I was mailed a citation for this on Monday when the incident was on Friday.
In researching this, the law wording is fuzzy, i.e. "No person shall drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing."
The incident happened an hour before the officer arrived and conditions were changing by the minute as it happened before sunset and the conditions deteriorated quickly as it got dark. The officer didn't ask when the accident actually happened.
He did no investigation of the road where I started sliding.
He didn't issue the citation at the time.
He wrote down $153 for the penalty but according to IRLJ 6.2, the penalty should have been $37.
How can a person determine what speed is appropriate, either me or the officer. How can he determine what speed I was going when he wasn't there? How can a citation be issued for such a vague thing stating neither my speed nor the "safe" speed? How should I proceed with this citation?
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