(NOTE: As of just before 5 pm, California SW has reopened)
ORIGINAL 2:11 PM REPORT: Just getting word of this crash near California/Brandon (in front of Papa John’s – here’s a map), involving a police car. We’re told a car was pulling out of a driveway when it collided with a cruiser en route to an incident, apparently with lights and siren. We’re told the officer is hurt. No word yet how badly. (Photo added 2:18 pm) Christopher Boffoli and Patrick Sand are both there for WSB and we’ll add details as we get them.
2:36 PM UPDATE: A few more details – The officer involved in the crash had been heading to a call about a “disturbance” at California and Dakota north of The Junction. Investigators are headed to the crash scene to sort out other details. The driver of the other car was apparently not hurt – looks shaken up as much as anything; officers have been talking with him. California is closed **TFN** from Rite-Aid at the north to Brandon on the south. The injured officer is being checked out.
2:54 PM UPDATE: Buses are being rerouted too. We’ve gotten this e-mail alert about the 22:
Rt 22 is temporarily rerouted on California Ave SW near SW Brandon St, due to a blockage.
Use stops north of Sw Edmunds St or south of SW Morgan St.
Looking up the others. (54, 128, ST 560 affected too) Also, SPD Blotter has published a very short update on the crash:
On August 18th at approximately 1:52 p.m. an officer in a fully-marked police car was responding to an emergency call with lights and siren activated. Just north of SW Brandon Street on California Avenue SW the officer collided with a beige Ford sedan and subsequently struck a tree near the side of the road. The driver and only occupant of the beige Ford sedan, a male in his 70′s, was evaluated at the scene but was not injured and did not require transportation. The officer was transported to Harborview Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. Traffic Collision Investigation Squad detectives are responding to the scene. The circumstances surrounding the collision are currently under active investigation.
Scanner traffic indicated that the emergency call involved a parking-enforcement officer who may have been pepper-sprayed by someone – we are checking on that.
3:20 PM: Added that photo from Christopher, which shows the other car that was involved.
4:23 PM: Christopher checked again a few minutes ago – still closed. We’ll continue checking periodically.
4:59 PM: Thanks to Pop from the Thaitan Restaurant, who says the road reopened a few minutes ago. Belinda, via Facebook, says buses are going by too.
ADDED 6:34 PM: Thanks to Garfield High School student Gabriel S. for sharing that photo – again, the officer who was hurt was described as having “non-life-threatening” injuries, but we’re still trying to find out more on how he’s doing.
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