Dump truck lands upside-down by Youngstown, no one hurt

| Delridge | West Seattle news | WS breaking news

(8:28 PM UPDATE: Added video from the uprighting process; the dump truck’s just been towed away)

It’ll take one big tow truck to get that upside-down dump truck righted and taken away from behind Youngstown Cultural Arts Center (map). But we’re told the driver got out unhurt – and that no one else was hurt, either. Our crew at the scene is told that the driver apparently was coming down the SW Oregon hill but had brake trouble, tried to maneuver the truck to a safe stop, and somehow wound up this way. Per scanner traffic, it’ll be at least an hour before a big tow rig can make it to Youngstown to take care of this.

4:10 PM UPDATE: Thanks to Hollis and Phillippia with Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (which is based at Youngstown) for sending photos – our crew just got back to HQ and we’re checking theirs. We also got a note from Margaret, who says the truck’s load of dirt and mud covered some of the cars in the back lot (where Youngstown artist-loft residents live).

4:52 PM UPDATE: Christina points out via Facebook that you may have traffic trouble in the uphill turn to Oregon from Delridge – the tow truck was blocking the road at last report. Meantime, we’ve added our crew’s photo, above. And scanner traffic indicates the dump-truck driver may wind up going to a hospital to be checked out, after all.

8:26 PM UPDATE: As of about 20 minutes ago, the dump truck has been uprighted and towed away – just back from watching the conclusion of the laborious process:

Ken’s Towing brought out a big rig and first pulled the upside-down truck to a right-side-up position (our video shows the second half of that) – then after a lot of securing, finally pulled it along the south Youngstown driveway and off toward The Bridge.

Shannon December 13, 2010 (3:52 pm)

Wow, my husband and I were just over at the tennis courts across from that area and must have left just before this happened!

35this35mph December 13, 2010 (3:56 pm)

Holy Cr@p! There is a kinda wicked curve up the hill there. Glad no one’s hurt.

Jen December 13, 2010 (4:01 pm)

Where the H is Youngstown? Who keeps coming up with these little subdivisions? I’ve lived here 32 years and never heard of all these little sub neighborhoods until this year. Sounds very Californian to me… ;)

WSB December 13, 2010 (4:03 pm)

Jen, this area was actually Youngstown long before any of us was born (unless you’re 90 or so). I’m sorry, I was about to add a map, it’s been a little insane with breaking news this past hour. It’s across from Delridge Community Center in North Delridge. – TR

capo December 13, 2010 (4:16 pm)

What? That’s not how you’re supposed to empty one of those?

bebecat December 13, 2010 (4:31 pm)

I have a picture of myself and the 2 Besaw girls standing right there in that spot in about 1956 or 1957. Besaw Carpets(the girls parents owned it) was located where Linda’s Flowers is at California and Admiral. We were Kindergarden or 1st grade there at Cooper. :) Oh I grew up just blocks from there and we were always referred to as the Delridge area. Youngstown is/was a historical reference.

miws December 13, 2010 (4:48 pm)

Jen, if you have the opportunity, and they are still available for purchase, you might want to pick up a copy of West Side Story which was published by the WS Herald in 1987.

I think used copies have been occasionally available at the Antique Mall in the Junction. If not, the Library in Admiral, and possibly the other WS branches have a copy to view there, though not available for check-out as far as I know.

One of the things it covers is the now “forgotten” neighborhoods such as Youngstown, and Riverside, (which was down along the Duwamish, just south of the Bridge.

Mike

Diane December 13, 2010 (5:12 pm)

great tip Mike; yes, you can view all sorts of fantastic historic materials about West Seattle, at Admiral library, right across from librarian desk

scott c December 13, 2010 (5:34 pm)

I find it extremely annoying that business’s are used as reference to locations of incidents, especially when these business’s are sponsors.

WSB December 13, 2010 (5:43 pm)

Don’t know if you are referring to something else, but in this case, Youngstown Cultural Arts Center is (a) exactly where it happened (the truck fell onto the parking lot), (b) not a business (it is a nonprofit entity run by the nonprofit DNDA), and (c) not a WSB sponsor, nor has it ever been. – TR

scott c December 13, 2010 (5:57 pm)

All Star Fitness from yesterday for example… who knew where that was? Unless you are a client, or drive by there, who’d know?

WSB December 13, 2010 (6:02 pm)

And again, Allstar Fitness is where the flooding happened, so that’s why it was used as the location. Their parking lot. Sorry I didn’t include a map link, which I would usually have done, but yesterday was crazy busy and if we are in hyper mode, the links are the last thing to be added. By the way, Allstar has NEVER been a WSB sponsor. Sorry to have assumed most people would know where it is, but it is a huge club with dozens of cars jamming the streets around it as well as that lot every time we drive by. In addition, its parking lot flooding was a major story during the heavy rains three years ago.

sam-c December 13, 2010 (6:01 pm)

it was brake trouble ? I wonder if the erosion had anything to do with his issues. we drove down that hill Sunday, and so much of the hillside (from the disturbed hillside area when those 3 houses were developed), that driving down that hill was kind of like driving the last 4 miles to a remote trailhead atop of a mountain – covered in gravel, dirt, etc. glad no-one was hurt

chas redmond December 13, 2010 (6:03 pm)

And it actually IS a Cultural Arts Center, perhaps you should visit Scott. There’s lots of art, music, writing and other activities happening. There are facilities you can use on a rental or quid-pro-quo basis such as a theater and dance studio.

russ December 13, 2010 (6:04 pm)

Um, businesses are kind of land marks and make it easier for people to understand where the stories are happening.

Lura Ercolano December 13, 2010 (6:04 pm)

This used to be Cooper School. That’s probably how some older folks might recognize the location. But when Seattle Schools closes an outdated building, they like to take the old name to a new school building. So Cooper School now refers to a spiffy modern building a ways up the hill.
.
When the building stopped being a school, it got renamed. Now it’s an art/living/community space, where you can take classes, see plays, etc.

scott c December 13, 2010 (6:15 pm)

A reference to “just south of the steel plant” (yeah, I know, another business, but a BIG ONE), or north end of Delridge… but there are lots of references to Hotwire Coffee, Bird on a Wire (or whatever its name is…), Click, or many others, that are often referenced as sponsors that are used as “landmarks”.

WSB December 13, 2010 (6:34 pm)

This is the last thing I’ll say about this. We’re not perfect nor above reproach but this one is an off-base accusation. (Bird on a Wire has never been a sponsor, either.)
.
Whenever we mention a sponsor, we identify them as such, even down to events calendar listings, which sometimes feels silly to me, but we made the commitment when we became a business that we would go above and beyond what other news organizations do in terms of disclosure regarding sponsors, so that’s why we do it.
.
You do hear a lot about some of our sponsors here because we are lucky to have some of the most popular, well-known, and committed-civic-activist-owned businesses on the current team of 70+ sponsors. Yes, sometimes their business IS the best landmark, or they are part of the story, because they are the ones who make things happen. Lora at Hotwire, for example, is a driving force behind a multitude of popular activities from the West Seattle Art Walk to the Outdoor Movies – as well as a location for the former and the location OF the latter – so you’re going to hear a lot about Hotwire here, for just one example. Meantime, if we use a business name and someone doesn’t know where it is, 99% of the time it’s hotlinked (as we do with everything from parks to schools to businesses and beyond, even to the bios of people about whom we write, if that information is available, unless we are in a major crunch, in which case, the verbiage has to stand alone) and you can click through to find the address. I would rather not clutter up business and institution references with the street address because that’s exactly what a hotlink is for, but lately I’ve been doing more of it on the events calendar because people have asked.

datamuse December 13, 2010 (6:26 pm)

But it wasn’t the steel plant’s parking lot that was flooded, Scott…

scott c December 13, 2010 (6:42 pm)

Okay, continue as is, I’ll go elsewhere. Sorry, its been nice.

attachedmomma December 13, 2010 (6:51 pm)

Thank you WSB for being so gracious in your explanations to address Scott’s concerns.

HelperMonkey December 13, 2010 (6:53 pm)

wow, scott c…that was the weirdest flounce I have ever seen. let me get this straight – you’ve got your panties in a bunch because the WSB references businesses – when that is where the news happened? *scratches head* I really don’t understand.

35this35mph December 13, 2010 (7:10 pm)

“In the rear parking lot of the building formerly known as Cooper Elementary School in the general North Delridge area somewhat south of the high rise of the upper West Seattle Bridge and the Western terminus of the lower bridge in the vicinity of Delridge Way SW and SW Oregon St. (no sponsors were benefitted or damaged in the locating of this incident.)”
Sorry

Billy December 13, 2010 (7:40 pm)

Gee Scott C relax a bit. Sounds like your a bit stressed. I agree with attachedmomma. Glad no one got hurt.

fiz December 13, 2010 (7:56 pm)

Tracey, you’re above reproach. Carry on.

MB December 13, 2010 (8:00 pm)

Thank you 35th! I needed that…Scott was starting to tick me off ;) Personally, I appreciate the business landmarks. I wouldn’t have known where these incidents happened if only street names were given. And for the record, if I didn’t know where something was, I’d google it rather than cutting down a group of people who work tirelessly to help all of us out…but that’s just me. No matter how hard you try…

Jen December 13, 2010 (8:08 pm)

Wow. Sorry WSB… I love you

enviromaven December 13, 2010 (8:14 pm)

@Scott – Dude, you gotta get out more. Take Chas’ advice and enroll in some classes at Youngstown. Start with basic writing skills and work your way up to journalism. Once you master those, you’ll be in a much stronger position to critique the WSB.

NotMe December 13, 2010 (8:16 pm)

There is ALWAYS one, you know? I don’t think it matters WHAT you do in your reports, someone is going to find something… or attack the victim for being too stupid or going somewhere they shouldn’t. I was relieved no one had attacked the family in the recent fire.
.
One thing I would like to point out. The driver of the truck that is upside down did one hell of a job! No one got hurt, the damage was minimal and he avoided buildings and homes all the while knowing he was going to have to crash his truck.

WSB December 13, 2010 (8:22 pm)

The tow company (Ken’s) did a great job too – just back from watching them get the trashed truck out of there without taking out lampposts, benches, or anything else – adding video before dashing thru the snow, er, rain, to go see Christmas Ship, The Finale (Don Armeni, 8:40) … TR

SarahScoot December 13, 2010 (8:25 pm)

Gosh, WSB – now you can’t even bother with business names? You only give us a person’s name to go by? What, I’m supposed to find out who “Don Armeni” is and figure out where he’ll be at 8:40 tonight? *Scoffs, flounces out in disgust*
(Uh, this was sarcastic, if that wasn’t clear!)

enviromaven December 13, 2010 (8:34 pm)

Thanks to NotMe for getting us back on track :) The consequences of that accident could have been so much worse! Kudos indeed to the driver and the tow company for keeping damage and injuries under control. I’m very thankful that nobody was hurt.

NotMe December 13, 2010 (8:46 pm)

That is one brave man or woman, in my book. That’s West Seattle’s hero today.

T December 13, 2010 (8:51 pm)

35- thanks for the levity.
WSB- I notice and am thankful for when you mention a business (and that they are a sponsor) in an article. And, I like to support those sponsors. I find the information on the blog invaluable, and that’s everything from breaking news, heart-warming stories, entertaining and at times frustrating comments, and community information.
Keep up the great work!

WSB December 13, 2010 (9:45 pm)

Hi all, back in for the night now and about to embark on six more stories that need to be written, in queue from before the wave of breaking news that started at midafternoon, but did want to say, please don’t bash Scott. He has contributed tips and photos and info in the past and we’re sorry he’s apparently chosen to look for news elsewhere.

Sandy B December 13, 2010 (10:47 pm)

I drove by the truck just after it happened. Was surreal! First thing I thought was “how do I contact WSB!” I think you’re doing a fantastic job. I’ve only lived here 4 years and I know where both the Youngstown Culture Center and All Star Fitness are located. Without those labels I wouldn’t have a clue!

K-witty December 13, 2010 (11:24 pm)

Hi WSB,
Just wanted to tell you I’m a born and raised WS native but don’t know all of the street names. I prefer that I get businesses as a reference point.
Thanks!

Yardvark December 14, 2010 (10:03 am)

I admit I’d also be lost if you stopped using businesses as reference points. Those are often my destinations so I know where they are. I never visit the corner of x ave and y street, but I might visit the business that’s one block north of there. That said, I appreciate that the Blog always notes when a mentioned business is a sponsor. All too often, that transparency doesn’t happen at larger news outlets.

So glad to hear that noone was seriously hurt in this accident, especially considering the level of activity at Youngstown.

Bianca December 14, 2010 (11:07 am)

Another vote here for business shout-outs. I get lost at neighborhood and/or street references. Nice work!

sophista-tiki December 14, 2010 (11:56 am)

Me too. Even though I may not have ever been to a referenced business I do know where they are and it helps paint the picture of the story.
Its fairly simple for a reader to google said location if they’re really curious.
It probably takes less mental energy to look it up than it does to complain about it.

Sorry, comment time is over.