Firefighters had to use pneumatic tools to free a Greenbank man from his car Monday following a collision with a tree in Freeland.
Michael Long, 37, was transported by ambulance to Whidbey General Hospital with what appeared to be non-life threatening injuries.
According to an Island County Sheriff’s Office deputy at the scene, the accident occurred at about 5:30 p.m. on Honeymoon Bay Road, between Reindeer Road and Evenstar Lane. Long was reportedly northbound in a 1998 Ford Escort and failed to negotiate a curve.
His vehicle slammed into a tree on the other side of the street. Skid marks about 100 feet long made it clear he wasn’t able to stop in time to avoid the collision.
Whidbey police confirmed that speed and impairment may have been factors in the crash.
The wreck closed both lanes of traffic between Reindeer and Evenstar for about 45 minutes; the road was cleared by about 6:15 p.m.