SEATTLE — A mattress on Interstate 5 led to a deadly accident near Mountlake Terrace over the weekend.
It's a grim reminder why Washington state passed a law making it a crime not to properly secure a load.
According to the Washington State Patrol, the mattress fell off of a truck. Edmonds resident Yohana Ayele, 20, struck the mattress. Her vehicle swerved in front a semi-truck, which collided with her driver's side door. Ayele was killed in the crash.
Ayele was a student at South Seattle College. On Monday, the college released the following statement:
"The South Seattle College community is devastated to learn of the passing of Yohana Ayele. We are keeping Yohana’s family and friends in our thoughts and hearts at this time of great loss, and will be reaching out to staff and Yohana’s classmates with support and counseling resources available at the college during this difficult time."
Maria Doyle of West Seattle has not been able to stop thinking about the crash.
“It just disturbed me. It really did. It is not fair,” Doyle said.
Eighteen years ago, Doyle's life was forever changed along Interstate 405. Someone hauling furniture in a trailer lost an unsecured piece of particle board and it catapulted through her windshield.
“This whole face has been reconstructed. What you see aren't real eyes. They are painted glass prosthetics,” Doyle said.
It's also hard for Doyle to open her jaw and she has zero sense of smell. She is still undergoing surgeries.
“It takes its toll. It really does,” she said.
Doyle’s taken her story to the state capitol. In 2005, Washington lawmakers passed Maria's Law, which makes failing to properly secure a load a crime. She said what happened over the weekend is one more reason why she still tells drivers, no matter what you are hauling, tie it down.
“I don't understand how people don't get it. It is like putting on your seatbelt. It should just be an automatic thing you do if you are hauling anything,” Doyle said.
As for the investigation into Saturday's crash, the unknown truck is described as possibly a small, older dark-colored pickup with wood-sided bed racks and carrying miscellaneous household items. The Washington State Patrol asks anyone with information to contact them at 360-654-1204.