Kitsap County, WA — July 9, 2025, one person was killed in a truck accident at about noon on State Route 3 in Silverdale.

Authorities said a truck crashed into two vehicles parked along the on ramp as it was entering the highway from Northwest Newberry Hill Road. A woman had been standing outside one the cars talking to someone inside it at the time of the collision.

The 21-year-old Belfair woman was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, according to authorities. Her name has not been made public yet.

No other injuries were reported.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Kitsap County crash at this time. The accident is still under investigation.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When someone reads about a fatal crash involving a truck hitting two parked cars on an on-ramp, the first question that comes to mind is: How does that even happen? Most people assume that a truck entering the highway would be moving slowly and predictably. So what went wrong here?

Authorities say a woman was outside one of the parked vehicles, talking to someone inside, when the truck hit both cars. That raises an immediate concern about the truck’s path and speed. Was the truck driver distracted? Was there some kind of mechanical failure? Did the trucker fail to see the parked vehicles, and if so, why?

We don’t yet know if the vehicles were disabled or if they had stopped for some other reason. That distinction matters. If the vehicles were legally and properly stopped, that points the investigation squarely at the truck driver’s behavior and the trucking company’s protocols. If not, other questions emerge, but even then, a professional driver has an obligation to anticipate road hazards and respond accordingly.

These aren’t idle curiosities. When I litigate a crash like this, the first step is always to preserve key evidence. That includes the truck’s dash camera footage, the driver’s cell phone records and the data from the engine control module, what most people call the “black box.” That device tells us how fast the truck was going, whether the brakes were applied and whether the driver tried to swerve.

It’s also crucial to look at the trucking company itself. Did they adequately vet and train this driver? Do they monitor driver performance or just turn a blind eye until something terrible happens? I’ve handled cases where the company’s hiring practices were so poor that it was almost inevitable someone would get hurt. A crash like this could easily involve the same kind of failure at the company level.

Until those pieces of evidence are secured and reviewed, it’s impossible to say who’s responsible. But one thing is clear: a woman lost her life under circumstances that don’t make sense on their face. And someone needs to dig deep enough to explain why.

Key Takeaways:

• It’s unclear why two vehicles were parked on the on-ramp or whether they were legally stopped.
• The key question is how and why the truck struck stationary vehicles while merging onto the highway.
• Crucial evidence includes black box data, dash cam footage and the driver’s phone records.
• A full investigation should also review the trucking company’s training and hiring practices.
• Accountability depends on gathering and analyzing all available evidence, not assumptions.