This is so terribly sad. Gabe Rygaard, 45, was driving down Highway 101 in his hometown of Port Angeles, Washington, when he lost control of his Ford Bronco. The Chevy Tahoe driving in front of him slowed to a stop, and he couldn’t stop in time; he veered to the left, hitting the back of the Tahoe, and veered into oncoming traffic. He collided with a van coming in the opposite direction nearly head-on. Gabe wasn’t wearing a seatbelt during the accident, and died from injuries sustained from the crash.
As you can see from the accident photos, this was a brutal, brutal crash. The hood of Gabe’s Bronco is smashed to pieces, crumpled beyond recognition, the wheels knocked off their axles. The van he collided with is incredibly damaged as well, with the right passenger side nearly gone. It’s a miracle that everyone inside the van escaped with only minor injuries.
Another angle of the accident scene shows the damage done to the right side of the van. The two cars hit each other so hard that it’s folded in on itself. The bumper is wrapped around the tire completely, and the windshield is almost bent in half! The hood of Gabe’s truck is lifted almost entirely off at this angle, showing the engine and insides. Someone — it’s not clear if it’s Gabe or the other car — was towing a kayak, and it’s now resting forlorn in the middle of the road.
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Gabe was one of the stars of the History Channel show Ax Men, which featured his family-owned logging business, Rygaard Logging. He leaves behind a wife and three children.
HollywoodLifers, our thoughts are with Gabe’s family during this difficult time.