Update: Car hits Pet Pros in Westwood Village; no one hurt

| West Seattle news | Westwood | WS breaking news

(1st photo in, from Patricia – thanks!)
2:58 PM: Seattle Fire crews are responding to a report of a car hitting a building in the 9000 block of 25th SW, with a “heavy rescue” response.

(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
3:02 PM: It’s a car into the front window of Pet Pros at Westwood Village, according to texters and address cross-reference. No injuries reported so far. Thanks to Patricia for the top photo.

3:12 PM: Our crew is there and confirms nobody hurt. The car has already been backed away, though the sidewalk there is blocked off for cleanup (thanks to the person who texted the photo above this line).

(Another photo added: Jessie shared the view from across 25th SW – thanks!)
Police are still talking with people to determine whether this was a case of hitting the wrong pedal, a medical problem, or something else.

(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
3:33 PM: It’s now a cleanup scene – all that broken glass you see above, for examples. Also lots of onlookers, and at least one TV crew. We’re told the store is closed right now (we’ll check back later). In case you were trying to remember (we were), we looked up the date for a somewhat similar incident at the Westwood post office – May of last year.

sbaby February 22, 2014 (3:06 pm)

oh no, what happened?

miws February 22, 2014 (3:14 pm)

Wow, glad no one is hurt.

One of the benches near there has been a regular rest stop for me, while killing time between shopping at Target, and catching the bus back Home over on 25th.

And yes, knowing this type of incident occasionally happens, I tend to be hyper aware of anything a driver in a car across from where I’m sitting might do, that would indicate their car may jump the curb.

Of course, that would all depend on recognizing that the car may be about to jump the curb, and being able to react quickly enough.

Mike

Christie February 22, 2014 (3:22 pm)

WOW! we had just been in that very shop! Hope the driver and the employees are OK.

James Roche February 22, 2014 (3:26 pm)

I was there when it happened. The car was being driven by a German Shepherd.

WSB February 22, 2014 (3:30 pm)

And its paws reached the pedals? Amazing.

Lynne February 22, 2014 (3:29 pm)

I was the one who texted the 2nd photo. I was at the counter in Pet Pros buying dog food when the car came smashing thru about 10 feet away from us. Scared the crap out of us! Fortunately no one was shopping near the windows. I consoled the driver for a while since she was distraught. Hats off to the staff at Pet Pros for reacting so calmly and for watching my son and my wallet that I left on the counter.

Bonnie February 22, 2014 (3:30 pm)

The car was being driven by a German Shepherd???

here February 22, 2014 (4:00 pm)

People seem to have tunnel vision in that shopping center. I was hit walking in the crosswalk from Barnes and Noble to Pier 1.

alki resident February 22, 2014 (4:06 pm)

You can never trust a shepard behind the wheel.

Ray February 22, 2014 (4:10 pm)

I do not know if a GSD was actually driving, but the dog only needs to bump the stick of the car if it is left running. Does not have to reach the pedals.

Glad no one was hurt. The ladies (and lone gentleman) that work there take very good care of my dog when we visit.

west seattle codger February 22, 2014 (4:28 pm)

These are such good people I’m really glad everyone is okay.

Old Desolate February 22, 2014 (4:39 pm)

We’ve been shopping at Pet Pros since the 1990s – in Magnolia and at Westwood Village. The folks that work at both stores are the best – I’m so relieved that no one (at least that we know of) has been hurt. I hope they can re-open soon and can only imagine how upsetting the employees and those nearby would have been (or be). If you know Cynthia give her an extra hug from Karen and Bob.

A. February 22, 2014 (4:43 pm)

Looks about exactly what happened when I worked at Pier 1 and a car came through the window. I believe there is still a tire mark outside of that store…

Josh February 22, 2014 (5:10 pm)

Really cool store. I became a regular there switching from Mud Bay (also good). But that store has awesome employees who love animals, and they seem to all love their job. Glad everyone is o.k.

Eric February 22, 2014 (6:03 pm)

Wow, glad no one was hurt. What a bummer. Petpros is a great store with very helpful employees

K February 22, 2014 (6:06 pm)

Glad everyones okay and hope Pet Pro’s can reopen soon! Great crew.

Must be something in the air today, traffic was heavier than I’ve seen in a long time, and less “enjoyable” than usual.

Mike, don’t worry too much—very very very occasional. We only hear about when it happens, not the thousands and thousands of times it doesn’t.

WSB February 22, 2014 (6:08 pm)

K – funny you say that; we were in The Junction running errands earlier and I asked co-publisher P if it really was Saturday because it felt more like a weekday. Crews were even at work at both construction sites on the block between Alaska and Edmunds. I think it was the relative break in the weather. Also, Seattle Public Schools resume on Monday after a week – some who went on vacation might have just returned.

Dirk February 22, 2014 (6:23 pm)

Toyota, Moving Forward.

hj February 22, 2014 (6:48 pm)

@WSB: The construction site at the old Petco has been running every Saturday for a few months now.

miws February 22, 2014 (6:54 pm)

Thanks, K. :-)

I actually don’t go that route as much as I did before. Several months ago I realized if I worked my way over towards Eats/Bed Bath/the fitness place, etc, I didn’t have to navigate around the carts, and plants and stuff, in front of QFC, and there are more opportunities to sit and rest, as I’m lugging my typically heavy load to the bus stop.

Mike

~HockeyWitch~ February 22, 2014 (7:46 pm)

I got there just a few minutes after it happened. In fact, I followed two police officers that were heading there.. I was going to Pet Pros to get my kitten a new cat bed…it just wasn’t meant to happen today… Saw the lady who was driving.. she was really shaken up, but not hurt, really scared though.. Glad that no one was injured. So many people are in there on Saturdays and even bring their dogs in with them.. could have had a different ending. Glad the outcome was some broken glass and a scratched up car vs what it could have been.

JN February 22, 2014 (8:10 pm)

It is really annoying when I read in news stories that the “car” hit something. The correct phrase to use would be that the “motorist” drove their car into something. Unless of course this was a Google car, which from the looks of it, it was not.

Eric February 22, 2014 (8:23 pm)

Good grief,
There are more important issues to be “annoyed” about. I think people are intelligent enough to understand what is being implied from the title

WSB February 22, 2014 (8:27 pm)

JN – I know what you are saying and if you check some of our recent work, you will see we’re trying, when that style of writing makes the most sense. Nonetheless, sometimes, I’m going to wind up writing ‘the car hit the building, the car hit the pole,’ etc. It is NOT inaccurate. And it is succinct. If I said “the driver hit the building” that could just as easily mean someone got out of a car and walked up and smacked her/his fist into the siding.

mightrabbit February 22, 2014 (8:40 pm)

But is the German Shephard OK?

West Seattle Transplant February 22, 2014 (9:10 pm)

At least the car and the driver did not collude, conspire or machinate to hit the building. Or at least I’m assuming so from the reports of the driver being distraught at the scene. Maybe the car and driver were unaware of the potential repercussions of the suspect math of F=ma and caught by surprise from the outcome. We all know the German Shepherd was the real “Ringleader” and calling the shots from the back seat. C’Mon! Really? lol

JN February 22, 2014 (9:25 pm)

It may not be an inaccurate statement, but it is misleading. It implicitly absolves the vehicle operator of guilt and is incredibly insulting and hurtful to any potential victim. To say that “the car” hit something sounds as if the car started moving and hit someone/something of its own volition.

Brian M. February 22, 2014 (9:41 pm)

@JN, What is truly insulting is your implication that readers cannot infer that cars are generally driven by people.

JL February 22, 2014 (9:41 pm)

I actually witness this whole thing. I was walking into QFC and had stop to watch this lady park because it seem like she was taking awhile. There was a couple car waiting for her and I think one honked. The next thing you know she’s pulling forward and straight into the pet store. Poor lady was really shakened up. I’m glad help came as fast as they did.

Rachel February 22, 2014 (9:45 pm)

Seriously JN?

Sarah February 22, 2014 (10:15 pm)

Any hopes for when they’ll be back open? I’m so glad everyone is okay. I was on my way there when this all happened :(

Paul February 22, 2014 (10:17 pm)

Sorry to hear that this happened to Pet Pros. This is a great store with wonderful employees. I am hoping to visit as soon as they reopen, which hopefully will be soon.

miws February 22, 2014 (10:26 pm)

For JN:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O08w8CegEeg

Mike

dsa February 22, 2014 (10:33 pm)

As this story unfolded we did not know for sure if the car that hit the building had a human driver.

HappyOnAlki February 22, 2014 (10:36 pm)

Yes, seriously, JN?

WSB February 23, 2014 (12:34 am)

OK, everybody stop piling on JN – it’s against our spirit of “criticize the comment, not the commenter.” Since it’s my copy to which JN is reacting, I hereby grant myself permission to comment again, and somewhat in their defense … it can be viewed another way, somewhat akin to “guns don’t kill people, people kill people”; we news types don’t usually write “a gun shot and killed a woman …” or “a bullet hit and killed a man …” (substitute knife, whatever). Yet for whatever reason “a driver ran into a store” just doesn’t evoke the image of “a car crashed into a store.” (Same thing for plane crash vs. pilot crash.) I’ve seen umbrage especially taken when the usage adds up to “a car hit a bicyclist” or “a car hit a pedestrian,” seeming to take the driver completely out of the equation, and I get the problem with that. However, I still would have led this particular report off as “a car crashed into a store.” If the driver or anyone else had been hurt, they would have likely been the lead … TR

elisabeth February 23, 2014 (2:21 am)

Good enough for me, Tracy!!

cjboffoli February 23, 2014 (8:17 am)

The post office last May was indeed the last incident of this kind covered by WSB. As other commenters have mentioned there was also Pier 1 in February 2011 (https://westseattleblog.com/2011/02/westwood-village-crash/) and Bank of America in April 2010 (https://westseattleblog.com/2010/04/major-heavy-rescue-at-westwood-village/). This type of thing seems to happen with surprisingly frequency at Westwood Village.

Vanilla Gorilla February 23, 2014 (9:50 am)

didn’t this happen not to long ago at McDonald’s too?? this is like the fourth crash down there

Vanilla Gorilla February 23, 2014 (9:56 am)

looking at those pics from the other crashes it seems all of them were done by Toyotas.. hmmm wasn’t there a huge recall for this same problem last year??

wsn00b February 23, 2014 (2:06 pm)

So this kind of stuff happens pretty often and wont be the last time. The ones I remember are often are very old people with cognitive issues and going D instead of R.

I’m amazed that safety poles aren’t part of the standard parking lot design where cars park tangential to storefronts.

If I were a storeowner with cars facing into my storefront I’d get a bunch of poles installed stat.

datamuse February 23, 2014 (3:14 pm)

hmmm wasn’t there a huge recall for this same problem last year??
.
More like four years ago and driver error was found to be the cause in the overwhelming majority of cases. (The exceptions? Incorrectly fitted floor mats, easily replaced at one’s dealer upon request.)
.
Honestly, the layout of Westwood is so poorly designed that I’m amazed there aren’t more crashes there.

WSB February 23, 2014 (3:28 pm)

Data – There are certainly more emergency calls there (and elsewhere) than we cover here. But “heavy rescue” is an automatic immediate coverage call for us, like fire, assault with weapons, and a few others, so these are the ones we have in the archives. The other Westwood (well, technically, Target owns its own site, so it’s at Westwood Village but not part of it) car vs. building not alluded to here happened toward the end of the WV street fair five years ago: https://westseattleblog.com/2009/06/heavy-rescue-call-near-westwood-village – TR

heylady February 23, 2014 (3:57 pm)

Thankful no one was hurt. Love the folks at Pet Pros!

Rachel February 23, 2014 (6:01 pm)

From mcdonalds to Marshall’s is very dangerous. A weird parking lot layout IMO

craig February 24, 2014 (8:45 am)

We really need the city to change the speed limit and perhaps give that parking spot a road diet. Too many accidents. Let’s spend money on a study, then implement new rules!

WSB February 24, 2014 (8:55 am)

Gosh, Craig, it’s not city right-of-way, but given the trend against perpendicular parking elsewhere, its days or spaces may be numbered …

brad February 24, 2014 (3:13 pm)

I heard a rumor that Pet Pros was going to make that into a drive-thru store but I didn’t think it would happen so soon.

TA February 24, 2014 (10:19 pm)

Thank you guys for the awesome support :) pet pros IS open! Coming back strong. Only closed for a couple of hours after the accident. Thanks everyone.

WSB February 24, 2014 (10:42 pm)

Thanks, TA – I went by on Sunday morning and there was only a sign on the door saying CLOSED without “reopening later” or something … and we didn’t get a chance to go by today.

Sorry, comment time is over.