SPOKANE, Wash. – With high wind warnings issued across Eastern Washington and North Idaho, residents and officials are preparing for potential impacts on local highways. An attorney is calling on property owners to prepare for high winds as well, after a deadly freak accident that took place during a wind event last Winter.
December 18, 2024, a dead tree fell onto a box truck and killed two men, Eric Saint and Elisha Brian, as they drove along Highway 2 on their way to work.
Attorney Brandon Batchelor, who represents the families of the two men in an ongoing wrongful death suit against the Spokane International Airport, said the tree was on airport property. Batchelor added the tree had been long dead, making it at high-risk of falling due to winds.
“We are coming up on the one-year anniversary of the tragic and ultimately avoidable death of those two men,” said Batchelor in an interview with Nonstop Local. “It’s hard to wrap your brain around it. It happened in an instant. It was dark, and sudden, crushing.”
As winds pick up along local highways yet again, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) told Nonstop Local they treat “hazard trees” in preparation for wind events like this.
“Whenever there’s a storm of this nature or type of impact is always does have us a little bit concerned,” said Ryan Overton of WSDOT.
Overton went on to explain that, in addition to treating trees, WSDOT crews are scheduled to work overtime Tuesday night in anticipation for other wind impacts: road closures, tipped trucks, downed powerlines and debris.
ITD is on the same page.
“Right now we’re just trying to focus on the upcoming winds and make sure all of our crews are ready to get out there and respond if needed,” said Heather McDaniel from ITD. “Our folks are out there and they’re ready.”
Now, both transportation agencies are calling on drivers to do their part in preparing for winds on the roads.
“Use your best judgement, continue to keep yourself and others safe on the roadways so you can get to your destination safely,” Overton said.
And Batchelor is calling on property owners to prepare for winds on their land.
“What we’ve learned here is that the damage and the harm that you could avoid having a tree fall on a house or having a tree fall on a roadway or something like that is much, much, much greater than like the cost of having it cut down,” said Batchelor. “Put yourself in the shoes of the people that have suffered, and the people that have lost.”
To report roadway blockages and damage during severe weather, or if you observe hazards like debris or collisions, dial 9-1-1.
