Update: School bus & car collide; 2 to hospital including baby

ORIGINAL 9:16 AM REPORT: What was a major “heavy rescue” response to 18th/Elmgrove (map) has just been downgraded to a “motor vehicle accident with multiple patients,” per the scanner. We have a crew on the way to the scene.

9:29 AM UPDATE: The patients are described as a 30-year-old man with shoulder pain and a 10-month-old baby who was in the back seat of the car that was involved. Both are being taken to the hospital but neither is described as seriously hurt, per the scanner. Our crew at the scene says a school bus also was involved, with about six kids on board, reported to be from Roxhill Elementary, but none of them are reported hurt, and another bus is arriving to take them to school.

9:56 AM UPDATE: Police tell us they are still sorting out the circumstances of the crash. As the photo above shows, both the school bus and the car involved wound up on the sidewalk/lawn of property at the intersection. SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore has spoken to media at the scene and confirms that the school bus’s seven students and driver were all checked out and are OK:

A tow truck has already arrived.

karen November 8, 2011 (9:25 am)

News chopper is hovering overhead now.

sophista-tiki November 8, 2011 (9:44 am)

enough with the frickin helicopters already so ANOYING!!!

Kmoser November 8, 2011 (9:52 am)

I think we should be more concerned for the welfare of those involved right now rather than a temporary noise pollutant.

todd_ November 8, 2011 (10:15 am)

I wonder how this happened? From google street view, I can see there are no yield or stop signs at this intersection. Looks like someone failed to yield or maybe the sun temporarily blinded one of the drivers. Glad everyone is basically ok.

westcoastdeb November 8, 2011 (10:47 am)

I do not understand the lack of stop/yield signs at 4 way residential intersections in WA — I stop every time (I know, unsafe) just to make sure the way is clear. I live not far from that intersection and am surprised that I do not see more of this type of accident. Hope everyone is ok!

Newbie November 8, 2011 (10:54 am)

With all the overly polite drivers in Seattle who needs Yield or Stop signs? People can barely figure out the round-a-bouts in this city. Glad every one is okay.

Chris_____ November 8, 2011 (11:02 am)

Why are there so many uncontrolled intersections in Seattle? I have driven through miles of dirt roads through corn fields in Iowa and come to a stop sign where there is an intersection with another dirt road. Cost savings? Aesthetics? Anybody?

AlkiRes. November 8, 2011 (11:17 am)

That brick wall was built by my Dad in 1949. He used the bricks from the old Lafayette Elem. School that fell down during the April 13th earthquake that year.

datamuse November 8, 2011 (11:22 am)

I don’t know what it costs to install a stop sign, but it’s got to be pretty expensive to put in four of them for EVERY currently uncontrolled intersection in Seattle. That’s a lot of intersections.
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Besides, the RCW says that at uncontrolled intersections, traffic yields to the right. I know it’s overly optimistic to expect drivers around here to know the rules of the road (cf. the eternal lack of awareness about keeping right except to pass) but there it is.

WSB November 8, 2011 (11:25 am)

AR – the one there behind the car?

AlkiRes. November 8, 2011 (11:31 am)

to WSB,
Yes that brick wall behing the car.

KBear November 8, 2011 (11:32 am)

Also, stop signs are needed on rural roads because the speeds are higher, even though traffic volume may be lower than in urban areas where uncontrolled intersections are common.

marty November 8, 2011 (11:46 am)

We need SEATBELTS in all school busses. I can’t imagine why they don’t have them.

yield to right November 8, 2011 (12:01 pm)

todd, westcoastdeb, Newbie & Chris, I have asked SDOT about these issues.
1) At all uncontrolled intersections, i.e. with no stop or yield signs, when vehicles approach the intersection simultaneously, the car on the RIGHT has the RIGHT of WAY. This is in the state driving manual. If drivers only knew and obeyed this basic, we would have far fewer accidents.
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Unfortunately many residential sides streets in West Seattle have become de facto arterials with drivers using them as short cuts. Once people start speeding and not Yielding to the car on the RIGHT, others are forced to improperly yield (see westcoastdeb above). This improper, but overly polite, yielding denigrates the language of road rules and reinforces the de facto arterials.
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SDOT claims that if expensive Yield and Stop signs are installed at these uncontrolled intersections, statistics show that drivers just ignore them. As a result higher speeds and more accidents occur.
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Chris’ cornfield example begs the question, why stop when you are miles from any other vehicles. I imagine few people stop in those circumstances.
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todd is certainly correct in saying that someone failed to yield the right of way. The culprit should be easily determined by examining the damage to the vehicles and the direction of the car and bus.

watertowerjoey November 8, 2011 (12:15 pm)

I am amazed that there are not more accidents at uncontrolled intersections. I can’t tell you the number of times I have seen speeding cars go through these completely oblivious to the cars traveling the other direction as if they know that north/south or east/west gets the right-of-way.

Part of me wishes these idiots would run into each more often than they do.

buffalo November 8, 2011 (2:14 pm)

the drivers were probably distracted by the incessant hedge trimming of the neighbor there. Also, that wall looks unsafe. It is leaning and could fall on small children.

elmgrove November 8, 2011 (2:51 pm)

The hedge trimming has been greatly curtailed since the SWAT standoff of 9/15/2011.

datamuse November 8, 2011 (3:14 pm)

Why school buses don’t have seat belts.
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Short version: they’re already safer than your car.

M. November 9, 2011 (6:25 pm)

yield to right…I agree.So many do not follow or seem to know the laws, and try to wave me through when they have the right of way. I refuse to go if waved at and not my right of way. It is also the law that every vehicle must be able to slow down and stop to yield at uncontrolled intersections.
I suggest getting a free Driver’s Manual from your neighborhood D.O.L., never a bad idea to reread it, as a refresher and to note any changes.