West Seattle scene: Parking on slope, by Walking On Logs

Two people have e-mailed us wondering how this vehicle managed to wind up on the slope along the Fauntleroy Way end of the West Seattle Bridge, just north of Walking On Logs. Nothing obvious on the police/fire logs – so we don’t know; do you? We went over for a look and a photo; no damage visible so far as we could see.

SIDE NOTE: Noticed while there that the sculptures themselves are sporting new red and blue garb to promote Camp Fire candy sales:

According to the regional Camp Fire council, you’ll see Camp Fire youth out and about selling candy starting Friday.

4:41 PM NOTE: The vehicle is still there, as is another one parked in the pullout by it (facing the correct direction) with its emergency flasher lights going. That car was parked there when we first went by at noon but, though it appeared unoccupied, we didn’t pay much attention – till noticing just now that it’s still there.

6:45 PM: Mystery solved. See Andrew’s comment; also, we received this note from another reader:

I was leaving WS at approximately 9.30 this morning and saw the silver Toyota – traveling westbound – hit the central reservation pretty hard (rear end bucked up in the air, thought for a moment it might actually bounce over). Saw other westbound vehicles braking in my rear view mirror – embarrassed now but didn’t feel in a position to stop and call it in safely, and by the time I got to work had already forgotten about it.

There is nothing on the fire 911 log, so apparently – as Andrew’s comment suggests – the driver didn’t need attention from medics. The SUV was gone by 6:45 pm tonight (we passed the area again heading outbound on the bridge).

29 Replies to "West Seattle scene: Parking on slope, by Walking On Logs"

  • chas redmond January 20, 2013 (1:50 pm)

    Maybe it’s a car from the future and it spontaneously deposited itself there. Like the opening scene in Terminator 2.

  • Clean up? January 20, 2013 (2:05 pm)

    Also, is anyone going to clean up the car that was smashed on California (Gatewood)??

  • Todd January 20, 2013 (2:08 pm)

    I think that is an orange PEO sticker .. nice touch.

  • Dan January 20, 2013 (2:22 pm)

    it does not take rocket science to figure out how this occurred. ITS A TOYOTA! WE ALL KNOW TOYOTA DRIVERS ARE THE MOST IDIOTIC DRIVERS ON THIS PLANET.

  • DTK January 20, 2013 (2:34 pm)

    “People on ‘ludes should not drive!” – Jeff Spicoli

    • WSB January 20, 2013 (2:57 pm)

      Now, now. Could turn out somebody had a health episode. Or got REALLY lost in the fog (which was extremely thick after midnight). Just don’t know. But it caught enough eyes – even after we published this, somebody texted us to ask if we know what’s the deal with the vehicle – we figured we’d put it out here and perhaps in the hours ahead we’ll get the answer.

  • JanS January 20, 2013 (2:52 pm)

    also, is there no one who keeps the “walking on logs” area free of weeds and overgrowth? Was that not something planned on when originally installed? It really detracts from what it is…

    • WSB January 20, 2013 (3:27 pm)

      Jan- It’s a volunteer effort and the folks who have done their best to help (first, it was a longtime effort by a volunteer who finally got a bit too frail to handle it himself any more; then the Fairmount Community Association jumped in) have called for help many a time. Few have answered.
      .
      To the other point – I have just received a report that if true might possibly link this to something tragic so I’m cutting off discussion at the moment while we try to find out more. Thanks for your understanding.

  • BP January 20, 2013 (2:55 pm)

    Probably had nothing to do with alcohol….

  • valvashon January 20, 2013 (3:02 pm)

    How’s that 4 wheel drive working out for you now?

  • JayDee January 20, 2013 (3:13 pm)

    PEO means what?

    It looks like it slid out and hopped the curb. I’d wonder what the left-rear tire looked like.

    • WSB January 20, 2013 (3:16 pm)

      Parking Enforcement Officer.

  • W.S. maverick January 20, 2013 (3:25 pm)

    dude where did i park my car

    • WSB January 20, 2013 (4:21 pm)

      OK, we just went out to check (separate story to come). Apparently not related. But the wrong-way vehicle is still there AND so is an unoccupied vehicle facing the right way in the pullout by it – it had its emergency flashers on when we stopped by around noon, and still does, though they appeared to be showing signs of battery ebb. Strange.

  • smokeycretin9 January 20, 2013 (5:29 pm)

    dont worry W.S., if they knocked down a light pole, which you and I will have to pay for, the SPD WONT do anything about it. Just like they probably wont do anything with this.

  • Sarahbsarahbella January 20, 2013 (7:18 pm)

    @janS the plantings around the sculptures are deliberate. I think they are native plants that are designed to soak up a lot of water because it is a run off area. Not saying I think it looks great. Just that there had been work done to the area last spring.

  • themightyrabbit January 20, 2013 (8:04 pm)

    would be nice if we could catch the guy who DID take out the light pole @ 35th & Manning. people driving 60-70 on the 40mph viaduct today. no wonder there’s so many accidents.

  • E January 20, 2013 (10:09 pm)

    Those native plants look hideous.

  • cjboffoli January 20, 2013 (10:45 pm)

    Sarahbsarahbella: You’re right about the plantings. The ground there is perpetually saturated. Actually, the hydrology of that hillside is more than just runoff. The outflow mostly is from a natural spring.

  • Andrew January 20, 2013 (11:16 pm)

    So, I saw this happen as I was driving up to West Seattle this morning around 9:45 AM.

    I didn’t see what started this chain of events, but all of a sudden, that SUV which had been in the left lane caught some air (we think it may have brushed against the cement barricade on the left). It then swerved across the road and wound up in the ditch.

    I stopped on the shoulder and walked up to make sure the driver was ok (so far as I could tell, it was only one guy in the car). He was able to get out of the car and appeared mobile and unharmed. My girlfriend was already on the phone reporting it to 911 and the driver told me that he was ok and that he was going to call AAA.

    My bet is that AAA wouldn’t/couldn’t tow him out and that the city tagged the car to be towed later.

  • WSB January 20, 2013 (11:47 pm)

    Thanks, Andrew, I also received a note tonight from someone who saw it too but wasn’t able to add to the story (till now). The SUV was finally gone when we passed the area heading eastbound around 6:45. – TR

  • Mike January 21, 2013 (12:24 am)

    Andrew, AAA would not have an issue getting that out of there. They can drag a mangled mess of a wreck onto a flatbed by dragging it. That one has wheels on it, it rolls.
    .
    valvashon, that’s a 4Runner Gen 4. It’s RWD until you stop to put it into 4wd. That one in particular has on the fly locking hubs unlike the previous models that you would get out, lock the hubs, then shift into 4wd. Gen 5 4Runners have the option for fulltime 4wd which is from the Prado (a version of the Land Cruiser). I assume your comment was to be snarky, you just sounded ignorant.
    .
    There are so many variables that could lead to this accident. Sleepy driver, ice, alcohol, medical, who knows.

  • Andrew January 21, 2013 (12:35 am)

    *shrug* He told me he was going to call AAA. So maybe he was lying to me. Or maybe they just hadn’t gotten around to it yet.

  • Ian January 21, 2013 (6:47 am)

    Get em Mike, get em! Haha Who cares about what generation 4Runner it is, how do you know it wasn’t in 4WD mode, and why the harassment of Andrew about AAA? The guy just reported what the other guy told him and what might have happened. But, I am glad you got all technical and snide with it. Haha

  • Mike January 21, 2013 (9:59 am)

    Harassing Andrew? I don’t see anywhere that I did that.
    .
    As for correcting a snarky comment with facts, I just get tired of garbage being thrown without anything realistic to back it up. valvashon’s post was only to slam on it being the type of vehicle it is.

    • WSB January 21, 2013 (10:06 am)

      Everybody calm down, please. Every so often I test to see if we should loosen our rules on comments that have no reason other than to be insulting or snarky, and pretty much, this sort of exchange is a good reason why we usually conclude “no” – in the end, it serves absolutely no purpose except to irritate other people and provoke an unnecessary squabble, which is NOT what WSB is about … there are enough other websites in the world where you can get involved with that kind of thing if you want to (and enough other sources of irritation in the world). Thanks and sorry for not doing my job! – Tracy

  • WS rats in a cage January 21, 2013 (10:09 am)

    There was a maroon SUV “parked” in that pull out area by Walking on Logs this morning. It had an orange sticker on it.

    • WSB January 21, 2013 (10:11 am)

      Same one that’s been there since yesterday, I’m sure – it was still there when we came back across the bridge last night around 11.

  • m January 21, 2013 (11:52 pm)

    Thank you, WSB, for not loosening your comment rules. Your consistency regarding high standards is one of the things that keeps me coming back.

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