High Speed, Icy Roads Lead to Driver Flipping Truck, Landing on its Nose, Outside of Sammamish

A North Bend man managed to escape serious injuries Friday morning after he lost control of his pickup truck on State Route 202 and ended up flipping it on its nose, the State Patrol reported.

The accident occurred before 6 am, when the 59-year-old was driving his Toyota Tacoma west of Northeast Tolt Hill Road, Trooper Julie Startup said in a statement.

The driver told the State Patrol he was driving under the 55 mph speed limit but that the truck started to fishtail.

The trooper who arrived on scene informed the man that driving 35 mph was more ideal, given the Friday morning wet and icy conditions.

Startup reminded drivers that speed limits are set for when road conditions are dry and clear.

"The safe traveling speed limit may change drastically in a short amount of time when temperatures drop and drivers should reduce speed to stay safe. Although cold temperatures may be a factor in winter collisions the actual cause is often driver’s not adjusting speed to account for road conditions," she said in a statement.

The man's truck not only had its nose in a ditch, Startup reported, but its bed leaned against a tree.