Crash at 46th/Massachusetts sends 1 to hospital

Thanks to Todd for the photos from this afternoon’s crash at 46th SW and SW Massachusetts [map] in North Admiral. The call was at some point upgraded to “rescue extrication” (formerly “heavy rescue”) because the white car’s driver had to be extricated.

We couldn’t get to the scene in the early going because we were en route to cover the light-rail Stakeholder Advisory Group meeting; we did get someone there before the scene totally cleared and they tell us one man went to the hospital, with injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

29 Replies to "Crash at 46th/Massachusetts sends 1 to hospital"

  • T June 20, 2018 (7:32 pm)

    I always fly through uncontrolled intersections. What could go wrong?

  • Wsea June 20, 2018 (8:18 pm)

    This happens a lot around the area, although they are mostly minor fender benders.  Those new to the area assume the other direction has a stop.  Only money can fix the problem with traffic circles or stop signs, or maybe slow speeds. 

  • slowdown June 20, 2018 (8:45 pm)

    I don’t understand why we have “uncontrolled intersections” in the first place. You can drive down the same street and have a uncontrolled intersection followed by a yield sign followed by a stop sign.  Nothing is consistent.  After a rollover accident a few years ago on 49th and Graham, I went to the city and complained and they said it would be “impossible” to install sings at all the existing uncontrolled intersections.. Impossible? 

    • Mike June 20, 2018 (10:10 pm)

      Or perhaps people can follow the law!  That costs $0.  We don’t need signs, we need smarter people.

      • Chris d June 20, 2018 (10:39 pm)

        Agreed, it’s just common sense not to drive fast through neighborhoods and slow down at intersections.

      • heartless June 21, 2018 (8:02 am)

        Mike,

        What do you think is easier/more likely to happen:
        Have some stop signs installed or have the population of Seattle suddenly get smarter?

        I agree that people should take more care at these intersections, but there is a reason that other major cities (cities with smarter people than Seattle!) don’t have uncontrolled intersections.

  • Seattlite June 20, 2018 (9:24 pm)

    I hope all is well with injured in this accident. Uncontrolled intersections are fine as long as drivers are responsible, alert and understand what  uncontrolled intersections are and how to maneuver through them.  I’m the driver that always comes to a near stop at uncontrolled intersections as the driver to my right flies through the intersection without even thinking and putting other drivers and pedestrians in danger. Is it the responsibility of new permanent residents in WA state to learn its driving laws when applying for a WA state driver’s license?

  • dsa June 20, 2018 (9:37 pm)

    Just out of curiosity, what major city has stop or yield signs at all of their intersections?   Here the car to the right used to have the right of way, that’s how I was taught.  Anyway no one should have been traveling fast enough to cause the above accident.

    • E June 20, 2018 (10:21 pm)

      Every major city has stop or yield signs at every intersection (except this one).  It’s not just about new residents learning the laws, but for visitors as well.  There are some streets that have a mix of unmarked and marked intersections, with no apparent reason why. 

      • WS Taxpayer June 21, 2018 (7:08 am)

        I can speak for Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Dallas, Austin, DC, Baltimore and Indianapolis…all intersections marked…

        • KM June 21, 2018 (8:49 am)

          IIRC, SF is too, even in the Outer Sunset.

  • dsa June 20, 2018 (10:31 pm)

    So I google mapped around and stand corrected.  Other cities do have stops at corners.  But what happens is that makes one direction more of a known arterial without a yellow line.  Here in Washington we are not supposed to treat side streets as arterials.  Incidentally, I was retested in the driving portion in the last few years and there was a portion on side streets, but it was like a block long.  There was no real real drive test of uncontrolled intersection that I remember.  So I can see where “newbies” with old habits from other states would not fully understand Wa law.

    • newnative June 21, 2018 (8:54 am)

      My first day in town driving a U haul introduced me to left-lane freeway exits and uncontrolled intersections. There’s no excuse locals, natives and newbies can’t learn to drive safely as soon as they get here. 

      • CAM June 21, 2018 (9:24 am)

        I’m pretty sure bad drivers are both bred and transplanted to Seattle. And one can be aware of and cautious at uncontrolled intersections and still be uncomfortable with them and argue that they should be corrected because they are inherently unsafe. 

  • wsgal June 21, 2018 (8:39 am)

    I’m surprised they haven’t put a round about here, people speed through this stretch to access Bonair. Roundabouts don’t fix the problem, but still.            

  • SaraB June 21, 2018 (8:45 am)

    I agree with Mike above.  You can have all the signs you want, but the sign won’t actually apply the foot to the brake pedal.  Early this morning, I followed a car that blew through 3 stop signs in a row.  It was 5 am, so I guess the “thinking” was, who cares?   Yeesh.  This is why we can’t have nice things. 

  • run_dmc June 21, 2018 (8:57 am)

    In the last couple of years, we’ve seen/experienced:  1) someone flying through a stop sign – yeah, without stopping; 2) been hit side-on at an uncontrolled intersection by someone who apparently thought that if he was coming from our right, it didn’t matter whether there was already someone in the intersection and he could barrel right on through.  Totaled our car.  (Only silver lining was that he took our insurance company to arbitration claiming it was our fault because he was coming from our right; he lost and we got our deductible back which he had to pay); 3) a person behind me honk furiously at me when I slowed down at a yield sign (!) on Belvidere.  So, yeah – without or without signs, can’t fix stupid.

  • c June 21, 2018 (9:23 am)

    They can’t install roundabouts because it is the fire departments route to Alki.   I live a block from the accident and was there when they extracted the driver.   The driver of the Subaru had the right away coming up from Bonair.   There were no tire marks to indicate the other driver even braked.  Also was driving with a suspended license.   

  • KBear June 21, 2018 (9:37 am)

    Uncontrolled intersections are NOT unique to Seattle. They exist in other places all around the country. WS Taxpayer, you are incorrect. Chicago DOES have uncontrolled intersections. Perhaps you didn’t notice them because you weren’t paying attention. What Seattle does have is some of the worst drivers in the country. 

    • heartless June 21, 2018 (9:57 am)

      “What Seattle does have is some of the worst drivers in the country. ”

      Yeah, but it’s how we deal with them that is the interesting question:

      Since the drivers are so bad in Seattle does that mean we really should have extra safety measures like controlled intersection? 

      Or since the drivers are so bad does that mean people would ignore the signal devices anyway so it’s all a lost cause?

      I tend to think the former is a better solution but can certainly see the case for the latter.

    • E June 21, 2018 (9:16 pm)

      I lived in Chicago for several years, and I never once experienced an unmarked intersection.  Where in the city are you referring to?

      • KBear June 22, 2018 (9:56 am)

        Here’s an uncontrolled intersection in Chicago:
        https://goo.gl/maps/dkk133aXQ1T2

        Here’s another:
        https://goo.gl/maps/kpRCH6njSSy

        That’s with just a few minutes of searching with Google Maps. Do you think there might be more? I know there are. Hundreds, I’d guess. Every place I’ve lived has had them, big cities and small. Please pay more attention when you’re driving.

        • KM June 22, 2018 (2:51 pm)

          Just because E hasn’t experience an unmarked intersection while driving in Chicago doesn’t mean E is not paying attention while driving. Sheesh.

  • It's true June 21, 2018 (10:48 am)

    Remember folks: When at an unmarked intersection, the vehicle to the RIGHT has the RIGHT-of way.  And yeah, don’t tear through unmarked intersections. Especially on 47th near Madison Middle School.

    • KBear June 21, 2018 (12:37 pm)

      Not quite. The vehicle that was there FIRST has the right of way. If two vehicles arrive at the same time, THEN the vehicle on the right has the right of way.

      • heartless June 22, 2018 (2:07 pm)

        Not quite.  It also depends on the type of intersection.  So for uncontrolled T-intersections, like the ones you linked, drivers should yield to traffic on the through road. 

        • KBear June 22, 2018 (3:05 pm)

          Also wrong. The law is no different at T intersections. Look it up.

          • heartless June 22, 2018 (5:26 pm)

            I’ll be damned, you’re right, thanks for catching that.

            I find it super weird that in Washington there is no specification for T-intersections–since in so many cities the vehicles on the through street get right-of-way. 

            I still drive based on that, as, it seems, do most drivers in Seattle.  (ie, waiting for a gap in traffic rather than asserting one’s right (so long as traffic is coming from the left, of course).

            Again, thanks for the information–much appreciated.

  • MJ June 21, 2018 (12:34 pm)

    Uncontrolled intersections tend to operate safely, all motorist need to approach with care with motorists to the right having the right of way.  Uncontrolled intersections calm traffic, installing unwarranted stop or yield signs results in higher traffic speeds on the protected street!

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