Car crashes into Birch Bay Family Medicine

A man experiencing a medical emergency crashed into the Birch Bay Family Medicine clinic while driving 60 mph on February 19.

A 76-year-old man was driving about 20 mph over the speed limit on Birch Bay-Lynden Road when he struck a boulder in front of the medical clinic before hitting the building. The driver was likely experiencing a medical-related incident that caused him to lose control of the vehicle and not stop at the intersection of Birch Bay-Lynden and Harborview roads, said Jon Ahrenholz, North Whatcom Fire and Rescue (NWFR) division chief of operations.

NWFR units from Birch Bay, Blaine and Laurel as well at the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash at about 11:45 p.m. on February 19, Ahrenholz said. The man, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, was transported to St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham under advanced life support. The man sustained a concussion.

The car sustained major front-end damage, while the medical clinic didn’t have major damage, Ahrenholz said.

Birch Bay Family Medicine was open on February 20.

“Birch Bay Family Medicine is open and operating normally. The damage was primarily to the exterior of the building, along with some damage to interior walls in the waiting room and front area,” Family Care Network spokesperson Michele Anderson said. “The clinic is working with construction specialists to evaluate the damage and develop a plan for repairs, but they don’t have a timeline yet.”