TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Monday updates, including Junction bus collision

(WS bridge and Highway 99 views; more cams on the WSB Traffic page)
The new week is here, and we’re watching the roads – the weather, too, since it might be a rainy commute heading back this way later today.

LOOKING AHEAD, 2 NOTES: Next weekend’s Highway 99/Alaskan Way Viaduct inspection closure has a few complications around the edges – here are the full details … Looking further ahead, just two more weeks left in the West Seattle Water Taxi‘s 7-day-a-week season; two weeks from today, on October 27th, the 5-day-a-week fall/winter schedule takes effect (preview it here).

7:36 AM: There’s a crash on the eastbound bridge at the ramp to northbound 99. Also, there is a medic response in The Junction at California/Alaska. Checking further on both.

7:47 AM: The incident in The Junction has closed Alaska both ways just west of California, according to SDOT. It’s delaying multiple routes, according to Metro. Also, per scanner, Traffic Collision Investigation Squad has been called, and that usually means the scene will be closed for some time.

7:54 AM: Clarification from the scanner: Eastbound Alaska is closed between California and 44th. Westbound is still open.

(Traffic camera showing Junction scene)
8:01 AM – JUNCTION INCIDENT UPDATE: There is a temporary stop set up on 44th if you need to catch an outbound bus. Meantime, we’re starting to get more information – a Metro bus is reported to have hit someone, who has been taken to the hospital.

8:15 AM – BRIDGE INCIDENT UPDATE: This has cleared, according to SDOT. No injuries reported.

(WSB photo)
8:17 AM – JUNCTION UPDATE: Metro says the buses that usually stop at the eastbound Alaska stops between 44th and California are using the stop on 44th north of Alaska instead.

8:36 AM: Still no details about exactly what happened in the Junction incident – police are still sorting out and can only confirm that a bus did hit someone. We’ll have a separate followup later when more info is available, likely within the hour. Meantime, Metro supervisor at the scene told us they would be advising people to use the outbound bus stop on Alaska east of 42nd.

8:43 AM: Seattle Fire says the person hit is a woman around 30 years old and describes her injuries as serious.

9:22 AM: We’ve just published our followup with more info, and will also update that when Alaska reopens.

Chris W October 13, 2014 (7:53 am)

C lines to downtown seem ti be rerouting themselves. Bus stop @ 42 by QFC is open. Witnesses are quite shaken up.

Anonymous October 13, 2014 (7:55 am)

I was right behind the school bus when the car flew back over and hit it… Hoping all the kids on the bus are alright. :(

(edit) forgot to mention that I was talking about the accident on the bridge.

WSB October 13, 2014 (7:59 am)

We have someone on the scene so I’m hoping to hear more shortly about exactly what happened here.
- WSB October 13, 2014 (8:04 am)
  
  Thanks, Anonymous. Our crew at the Junction scene said there was no school bus at that scene so thanks for the clarification. The Junction scene is reported to have involved a Metro bus hitting a pedestrian.

Anonymous October 13, 2014 (8:08 am)

The accident on the bridge was someone cutting back over from the viaduct line-up back to the 1st ave lane (right where the lower ramp to get back on the west seattle bridge is) and directly hit a school bus. Car was pulled over in the far right lane just before the 1st ave exit and the bus was stopped in the splitoff for the 1st ave exit. At least that’s what it was like immediately after it happened likes 30-40 minutes ago..

Sue October 13, 2014 (8:18 am)

I was waiting for the 55 at 42nd/Alaska at 7:30 when the water taxi stopped and the driver yelled out to us that if anyone was waiting for a 50, that the 50 had hit someone. I texted WSB right away to let them know. At the time the EB buses were all passing in the WB lanes to get around, and the 55 came shortly thereafter, but it looked like a situation that was bound to get worse at some point. Hope the person isn’t too seriously hurt.

WSB October 13, 2014 (8:23 am)

Thanks, Sue. I was just noting the medic response at California/Alaska when P said someone had texted but I didn’t see the text of the text, if you will, as he left with the phone. We just added a photo and I thought that looked like the 50, since they use the shorter buses. I will likely break out the followup on this into a separate story a bit later.

Anonymous October 13, 2014 (8:19 am)

Thank you for the update. Glad there weren’t injuries on the bridge accident. Hope the person in who got hit in the junction is alright.

Mike October 13, 2014 (8:41 am)

I hope the lane-crosser on the viaduct gets jail time. I’ve seen that maneuver across the ramp/lane and it’s very hazardous.

justme October 13, 2014 (8:58 am)

Wish I’d seen this before I sent my son off to school. The police gave him bad directions when he told them where he was going. They sent him on the wrong bus in the wrong direction. ;(

Guy October 13, 2014 (8:59 am)

I heard the junction bus vs. pedestrian accident was really serious.

WSB October 13, 2014 (9:07 am)

As noted above, SFD describes the woman’s injuries as serious. We’ll have a separate followup as soon as we get a few more details from SPD – any minute now, we hope. When there’s a serious traffic-affecting incident during our traffic-coverage time (6:30-9ish, Monday-Friday), we always start the coverage in the traffic/transit report (and this affected both).

Sue October 13, 2014 (9:15 am)

Just aw this at http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/10/pedestrian-hit-by-bus-near-west-seattle-junction/

“…Police said the woman had been sleeping on the sidewalk at the bus stop, and rolled under the Route 50 bus as it was pulling away.

Witness Scott Shaules said she had gotten up and moved toward the bus when she was struck. “The bus driver didn’t see her and closed the door,” he said. It wasn’t clear if she became trapped in the door, or if she was trying to get on the bus.

Her injuries were initially described as life-threatening, but police later said they are not, though she did suffer several broken bones…”

WSB October 13, 2014 (9:18 am)

We have new information coming up in our followup, including that the woman is expected to survive.
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And here is the URL. https://westseattleblog.com/?p=288591 – SPD tells us that TCI (investigation unit) is likely to clear by 10 am or so; we’ll head back to The Junction then to check.

Robert2715 October 13, 2014 (11:48 am)

Was surprised the given that for some (maybe 10%?) it is a Federal Holiday, traffic was not appreciably less.

East Coast Cynic October 13, 2014 (4:04 pm)

@Robert2715

I’m not surprised–It wasn’t a national holiday, so a lot of people still had to get to work and it’s also a testament to the growing population in WS that is in dire need of some sort of transportation infrastructure expansion.

Sorry, comment time is over.