Regatta Drive crash sends two to hospital

A four-vehicle collision on SW Regatta Drive just north of the intersection of Clover Street Wednesday morning sent a 69-year-old Oak Harbor resident to the hospital with neck and shoulder injuries.

Oak Harbor Police Officer Tony Slowik reported a Nissan Quest minivan, driven by Rebeccah Pryor of Oak Harbor, was southbound on Regatta Drive and had stopped to make a left turn onto Clover Drive at the entrance to the U.S. Navy’s base housing complex.

A silver 2000 Chrysler sedan driven by William Brown stopped behind Pryor’s vehicle and a 1996 red Ford Probe, driven by Teofista Rosete, also from Oak Harbor, stopped behind Brown.

At this time 19-year-old Cameron Fuller of Oak Harbor, who was driving a tan 2000 Buick Century southbound on Regatta, apparently didn’t see the line of vehicles stopped in front of him and plowed into the back of Roeste’s Ford, police say.

This propelled the Ford forward slamming it into the rear of Brown’s car which in turn pushed Brown’s vehicle into the rear of the Pryor’s van, just like an accordion.

Brown was transported to Whidbey General Hospital by ambulance after he complained of neck and shoulder pains.

“Fuller told me he was traveling about 30 miles per hour at the time of the accident,” Slowik said. “He admitted that he wasn’t paying attention and said he was looking in his rearview mirror at the time.”

The speed limit in the area is 30 miles per hour and Fuller was issued a traffic citation for following too closely.

Slowik said Brown was treated at the hospital for his injuries and released.

The Ford Probe sustained the most damage and was towed from the scene of the crash.

Slowik said Rosete received lacerations to the inside of her mouth as the result of the airbag deployed in her vehicle.

“She called me about 3 p.m. and said she was going to the hospital to be treated,” he said.

None of the other drivers were injured in the crash.