West Seattle Crime Watch: Another hit-and-run case

Another case today of bad things happening to good people … seems the latest parked car to be hit-and-run in West Seattle belongs to Jim Winder of Helmstetler Family Christmas Spectacular light-show fame. Jim lives in the 3400 block of 37th SW (map) and says someone smashed into his truck and took off:

I did not notice it was hit when I got home at around 4:30 (though it could have been damaged then) as I ride my Harley to work.

My son did say he heard a big bang around 3:40…also neighbor said he did not notice it when he got home… so could have happened between 3:30 and 5:30… though I was home and did not hear anything… so if anyone notices any new damage to the passenger side bumper of any cars in the area….

16 Replies to "West Seattle Crime Watch: Another hit-and-run case"

  • Robert2715 January 9, 2012 (7:47 pm)

    No clue if related, but I (to my surprise) saw one of those huge car dealer delivery trucks going down northbound on 37th this afternoon (Must have been lost) – sometime between 4 and 6 – don’t really recall the time. Are you near a corner where the guy might have hit you and didn’t even notice?

  • miws January 9, 2012 (7:47 pm)

    Jim, it was a pleasure meeting you at the light display a few weeks ago.

    .

    Sorry this happened to you, and I hope the person responsible is found.

    .

    Mike

  • jsw January 9, 2012 (8:28 pm)

    Robert…my truck was parked about 40-50 feet from the corner of 37th and Manning (main arterial)…I kinda doubt they didn’t know they hit it, considering the big gash in the rear panel…but according to a witness that left a note, it was a car carrier (Lic # 32—RP) with a trailer, so that is probably what hit my truck. Funny thing, someone hit my truck mirror about 10 days ago parked in the same spot….some people never learn!! LOL Police ran a check on the License number, but they said they could not tell the company that owned it..perhaps the license plate was on the trailer…

    =======
    (EDITOR’S NOTE: License plate # partially edited out, as we do not publish complete information that could identify somebody not charged with a crime)

  • Diane January 9, 2012 (8:32 pm)

    Robert2715, I’m on the corner of 37th/Hinds, facing north; that huge big rig full of cars tried to turn left onto Hinds off 37th; I heard strange sound and looked out to see this giant truck trying to make the turn, driving over sidewalk; I was about to jump out the window as the back part of his rig would have totally wiped out my car parked there; thankfully he backed up again over the sidewalk, back on to 37th, drove north and parked about halfway up the block, which took up the whole lane, so all the after-work traffic had to go around; he then unloaded one of the cars, drove the car super fast backwards down 37th, then up Hinds; few minutes later he drove back in another car, drove it onto the rig, and left; very weird

  • Jim E January 9, 2012 (10:16 pm)

    Saw the Big rig at 37th and Hinds at 5:45, also noticed the damaged pickup on my way by too. Came to the same conclusion.

  • tk January 9, 2012 (11:31 pm)

    The pickup was parked really close to the corner at the 4-way stop on 37th (and Manning) when I saw the damage with pieces still in the road as I came around the corner, heading north. The doubledecker car flatbed trailer-truck was off loading a car one block up on 37th @ Hinds. The truck was much larger than we usually see on 37th and I’m surprised that he made it around the corners at all.

  • Diane January 10, 2012 (1:12 am)

    jsw, so sorry I didn’t get more identifying info, and sure glad someone got the lic #; I was in such a panic when I saw the rig so close to crashing into my car, just below my window (I’m on top/4th floor) and so relieved when he backed away; but now really annoyed at myself for not calling police; I was just about to, then the guy seemed to be dealing with whatever mess he got himself into as best he could; I can’t imagine he was aware of damaging your truck, because he was parked and unloading/loading cars for at least 30 mins; he was in a hurry, but sure wasn’t trying to hide; please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help as a witness; though it was dark, so it was hard for me to see much clearly down the street; there were people out on the street where he was parked, watching him, and walking dogs, so there certainly may be better witnesses to id the guy, and maybe someone saw company name on the rig; he parked on 37th about 6 houses up, just north of Hinds

  • W.S. maverick January 10, 2012 (5:56 am)

    the people that live in the area are some pretty bad drivers. look around the neighborhood and you could probably find the car that hit you

  • jsw January 10, 2012 (6:11 am)

    did anybody by chance catch a company name on the truck?

  • Bill at Duwamish Head January 10, 2012 (8:53 am)

    Just a thought:
    I have had cars moved many times and I can tell you this. The industry is full of subcontracts. The moving company is in one place, the trailer from another, and the driver from somewhere else.
    Maybe one of the people who had their car delivered will see the post and be able to help with the contracted mover.
    Maybe if you post in the forum about car moving (not hit and run) someone will see it and respond.

  • Mama3 January 10, 2012 (4:03 pm)

    I drove by at 5:10 ish and saw the truck – that totally stinks. I did see a large moving truck further down the road (white rig about a block up) and wondered if he was the culprit.
    Thanks for making my kids so happy about X-mas lights! :)

  • KeithN January 10, 2012 (4:20 pm)

    This is no suprise to me and unfortunate. I moved into this area in 1996 on the corner of 35th and Manning and had my vehicles hit, scraped so many times. I even keep spare mirrors and taillights in stock so I can replace them quickly. The drivers actually in the neighborhood have got better, since the first ten years my vehicles averages getting hit at least once a year, including the metro bus 37 ( full size bus they ran down this arterial before it went down to the smaller and more reasonable 51). Most recently only a couple of scratches. Your truck in the picture reminds me of the one big crash into the side of my truck that basically totalled mine in a similar fashion. Best of luck and hope you have comprehensive. At our stop sign we had on seperate occasions, going north on 35th to manning, an idiot on prescription drugs take out a vw bus, range rover, and two other neighbor cars in a row. it was a 50mph impact to the first two, then the dork tried to get away and without steering crashed into the two cars in front.

    Best recommendation is loud alarm that is set to low sensitivity (i.e. only sounds in an impact) and good neighborhood communication to track down the nutcases and bring them to justice. The arterial is just too narrow for this kind of property damage hit and run.

    Stay safe out there people.

  • tk January 11, 2012 (7:02 pm)

    Time to get you cars off the street

  • JonF January 12, 2012 (4:39 pm)

    tk, that’s really quite an impractical suggestion to people.

    Not everyone has garages to accommodate their vehicles. We live in the city; real estate is a premium, and occasionally those that are careless damage our vehicles either thru drugs, alcohol or plain stupidity.

    That’s not the fault of the victim of the property damage, but the road user.

    Please consider carefully and the reality before you post such comments.

  • tk January 12, 2012 (8:51 pm)

    JonF,
    The “tk” who posted just above you (on 1/11) is a different “tk” as me (1/09) and we do not have the same opinions. It’s unfortunate, as I have used the “tk” for a long time now. Maybe it’s time for a new sign-in name?

  • JonF January 13, 2012 (2:31 pm)

    ‘original’ tk. thx. sounds like someone’s playing around with aliases.

    My comment certainly was to impress the need for sensitity by ‘tk Jan 11, 12 7:02pm’ post.

    I think when I see commments like that it’s normally by people who want to see less cars on the residential streets so they can drive faster.

    But property damage is a serious issue and sympathy for anyone dealing with these hit and run careless drivers. There’s no excuse for it.

Sorry, comment time is over.