West Seattle traffic alert: Delridge blocked after crash involving stolen car; 4 hurt, including suspect

4:47 PM: What is reported to be a 2-car crash has Delridge blocked by the Southwest Precinct and Home Depot. According to scanner traffic, four people are hurt. We’ll have a crew at the scene shortly and will update.

(Added: This photo and next two, by Tony Bradley)
4:53 PM UPDATE: Police tell us the Mercedes was reported as stolen, with the suspected thief possibly linked to a burglary; that car hit the BMW, which was not involved. The suspect was among the injured.

5:13 PM UPDATE: Delridge is blocked all the way from Webster to Orchard. Meantime, a commenter wondered if the stolen Mercedes in the crash is the same one reported in our earlier Crime Watch report – our crew confirms it does appear to be the same make/model/color (late ’80s, 4-door, green) but we haven’t confirmed.

5:29 PM UPDATE: The Traffic Collision Investigation Squad is on scene, and that would tend to mean the closure will last a while – probably a few hours. Meantime, police have provided more details: They started trying to stop the Mercedes on 35th; it headed south on Morgan/Sylvan Way, then after entering Delridge, fishtailed and hit the BMW. Police confirm, as we reported earlier from scanner traffic, that the suspect, who was alone in the stolen car, and the three people from the other car are all at Harborview Medical Center.

6:14 PM UPDATE: Photographer Tony Bradley – whose photos we’ve added to the story – confirms the license plate on the stolen car. Meantime, SPD Blotter now has an item; the number of victims differs from what we were told at the scene and heard in medical-radio traffic, but the report does add one detail: The burglary from which the stolen car’s driver was said to be fleeing was in the 4200 block of SW Graham – just a few blocks from where the car was taken this morning.

7:15 PM: Went by the scene a few minutes ago, and Delridge was still blocked, except for allowing cars to leave Arco/Home Depot/etc. and head northbound.

LATE-NIGHT P.S.: The road has fully reopened.

17 Replies to "West Seattle traffic alert: Delridge blocked after crash involving stolen car; 4 hurt, including suspect"

  • BeckBe January 1, 2013 (4:53 pm)

    Drove past right after it happened – multiple police cars, guns drawn on the driver of one of the vehicles. Didn’t look good, whatever it was.

    • WSB January 1, 2013 (5:04 pm)

      BeckBe – guns drawn because, as we found out a few minutes after our first report, the driver of one vehicle was suspected of car theft and possibly burglary. Any time policy stop a vehicle believed to be involved in a felony, it’s a guns-drawn stop. – TR

  • dhl January 1, 2013 (5:00 pm)

    I live on Delridge and saw all the responding vehicles just pass a bit ago, went onto here cause I thought right away, “I’ll check the blog and see whats happening!” and bamm! You have it! You guys are amazing!

  • Andrew January 1, 2013 (5:01 pm)

    Same Mercedes reported as stolen in the crime report below?

    • WSB January 1, 2013 (5:06 pm)

      Andrew – I just asked our crew there if it was green … seems to be. I will have to flag the people who reported the theft earlier :(

  • Cclarue January 1, 2013 (5:32 pm)

    So sad for the girl who needs her car;(

  • West Seattle Hipster January 1, 2013 (5:33 pm)

    Wow…..the suspect who wrought this mayhem has caused some serious trouble for many different people. Unfortunately, the consequences for the alleged criminal will probably be minimal and they will continue to victimize others.

    My thoughts and concern are obviously with the many victims from this collision.

  • Trickycoolj January 1, 2013 (5:41 pm)

    Ah! I heard all the sirens from the chase down Morgan! I checked the fire 911 log but there were no open incidents in this part of town so I figured it was police which was scary by how many I heard!

  • ereljo January 1, 2013 (6:39 pm)

    Sad… Sad to think that there will always be lame people who do dumb stuff which means innocent people get hurt in the process…
    My thoughts go out to the victims who were hurt and the victim who no longer has a car… :-/

  • Yikes January 1, 2013 (7:06 pm)

    Well west Seattle,

    That’s true except the perp just added at least two charges to theft. And if someone was hurt he could really go away for a while. Absolutely incredibly brazen to steal a car while it is being warmed up with the owner next to it. And then it sounds like he drives it later that day. Not exactly the smartest thing in the world. Very sorry three people were hurt by this moron

  • Rawr January 1, 2013 (7:23 pm)

    This idiot seriously caused way more problems than anyone needed at the beginning of a new year. Got stuck on the 120 for at least an hour because there was no given detour. Drove up to High Point, waited for Metro emergency service, went around in a circle around the Junction and up 35th. Finally made it back to Delridge after a lot of sitting around. It sucked butt.

  • Yoli January 1, 2013 (8:55 pm)

    Very, very sad situation for the people whose car got hit in this incident. I was driving up Delridge when this happened, and I was shocked and beyond belief when this car hit the other car, is was beyond belief to see a car speeding like that and then flying into a car that was what looked like not to be moving or moving very, very slowly, it was amazing and awful. My heart and prayers goes out to those who were in the car that was hit. I pray that everyone is okay and the doctors are able to repair and their lives can be totally restored. I pray God’s hand is on the victims and everyone involved, they receive His grace and mercy.

  • joel January 1, 2013 (10:30 pm)

    great….a car thief, high speed chase (right next to the police station) and burglary and who knows how many other crimes this person has committed….and our tax dollars are getting him free medical care at Harborview.

    Cops should get free and unlimited taser practice on people like this.

  • June January 2, 2013 (2:48 am)

    What a complete a-hole! May God be with the victims.

  • Greenpeace January 2, 2013 (4:50 am)

    How are the people he injured doing? So sad… Here they were minding their own business, and bam. Agree with poster’s above assessment of this clown.

  • mohamed January 6, 2013 (2:52 pm)

    my wife included this accident and her sisters, almight may give her immediate recovery and get well as soon as possible, this criminal thief has caused severe damage and victimized innocent girls on thier way to home.

    • WSB January 6, 2013 (2:54 pm)

      Sorry to hear that, Mohamed. Thank you for the update and we also hope for a full recovery for them. If there is any other information you want the community to know (I am still watching this story to see what happens to the suspect once he is out of the hospital) you can reach us by e-mail at editor@westseattleblog.com – Tracy

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