Fauntleroy ATV crash update: Rider expected to recover

| Fauntleroy | West Seattle news

We just checked with Seattle Police to see about any new information on the 40th/Barton ATV crash we covered very early this morning. In fact, we learned, there are two updates: First, the rider was 45, not 41 as first reported. Second – according to Seattle Police Officer Renee Witt, his injuries are no longer considered to be life-threatening; after evaluation at Harborview Medical Center, he was found to have facial fractures, and that’s it. FRIDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: The SPD media unit has now published an item about this on SPD Blotter (which is automatically fed to our Crime Watch page – any time you check that page, you’ll see the newest West Seattle-specific SPD Blotter items right below WSB Crime Watch story links), noting, “The ATV driver was cited for DUI, Negligent Driving, and violation of the helmet law” (police say he wasn’t wearing a helmet).

Creighton December 26, 2008 (9:54 am)

Facial fractures? Do we know if he was wearing a helmet? Glad to hear he’s going to be ok. Did the police issue a citation or did the event occur on private property?

WSB December 26, 2008 (10:01 am)

Too soon for that info but will be continuing to check later in the day. Re: citation, we learned during other reporting earlier in the year that such decisions usually aren’t made same-day for situations involving serious injuries or fatalities … they had some serious heavy-duty equipment out to try to figure out what went wrong (our overnight tipsters talked about big lights, etc.).

Jackie December 26, 2008 (10:27 am)

Wow, that’s so horrible! I mean, it’s wonderful that he will recover, but I can’t imagine having those type of injuries. I hope he has a speedy and complete recovery. Hopefully the next time we get a monster snow event like this one the city will be more on top of it, since I’m willing to guess this was a snow-related injury.

Mookie December 26, 2008 (4:16 pm)

An update from Seattle PI’s Police 911 blog:

“The victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center where he was treated for fractured bones in his face, Witt said.

A second ATV pulled up while police were investigating and the rider told officers that the two men were driving around the neighborhood. Officers smelled a “strong odor ” of alcohol on both men’s breath, she said.

The victim was cited for drunken driving, negligent driving and a helmet law violation, police said.”

WSB December 26, 2008 (4:23 pm)

That info just came from SPD Blotter, which is always immediately updated on our Crime Watch page – they have just published that update in the past hour and I didn’t see it yet (checked it multiple times earlier in the day) to add it here on the home page too, sorry, adding now.

Creighton December 26, 2008 (5:02 pm)

Part of me feels sorry for a guy with a fractured face, but a larger part of me is not sympathetic to a guy so aggressively in pursuit of a Darwin award, that he chose to become intoxicated, not wear a helmet, and drive on snow and ice covered street at night in a non street legal vehicle. Hey kids – don’t be like this guy.

jo clement December 26, 2008 (6:55 pm)

Although the guy was riding w/out a helmet- which we all agree was a bad idea. The victim was not driving reckless , he happened to be involved in a accident.(called an accident for a reason) Has no facial fractures, or broken bones. Anywhere on his body.He does have a scrape on his knee, some brusing and black and blue eye. Thank god he is ok & no one got hurt..

jeannie December 26, 2008 (9:24 pm)

I don’t want to be quick to judge, but wasn’t he intoxicated? Imagine if he had hit a child or another vehicle – or even some poor dog.

GB December 26, 2008 (9:39 pm)

What does ‘the city being more on top of it’ have to do with a guy driving a ATV drunk with no helmet? His responsibility, lucky he didn’t hurt someone else.

K.C. December 26, 2008 (11:27 pm)

I did not see the accident, but I was at the bottom of the hill, at the bus stop, and saw the two riders start up the hill. Neither was wearing a helmet. They both were hot-rodding. In fact, just before before they drove out of sight, one of them attempted a “wheelie” and set the ATV on its rear end; it stalled and he fell backwards onto the roadway.

seth December 27, 2008 (5:05 am)

I seen them driving up barton. One was wearing a helmet.

larry December 27, 2008 (5:12 am)

He was wrong to be out period, but think of all the people making comments. they have never been considered legally drunk & still drove.? BS.

sue December 27, 2008 (5:17 am)

I spoke to someone @ the scene, and was told he was thrown from the bike.

headcase December 27, 2008 (8:29 am)

interesting that there is no mention of rider/s being sited for operating an ATV on WesSeattle streets. Its illegal period. perhaps it was just not mentioned. ATV/OHVs are promoted as toys.everyone/kids saw these two (and others) buzzing around like lawless rock stars in the snow. Shame he is hurt. Powerbummer across the board.

http://www.atvsafetynet.org/
http://home.comcast.net/%7Ecorvn/
http://www.quietcommunitiescoalition.com/index.htm

stephanie December 27, 2008 (8:58 am)

The male involved in the accident was 41 yrs. old, not 45. No fractures or broken bones.

WSB December 27, 2008 (10:37 am)

Just for information’s sake: Facial fractures and 45 years old came directly from the Seattle Police spokesperson to whom we attributed the information above, Officer Renee Witt, in a conversation at midmorning yesterday. The SPD Blotter entry, filed hours later, says 41 (which was the original report on SPD media update line recording about two hours after the crash, but then Officer Witt read a report while on the phone with me and said 45, and I said, 45? First report was 41, and she said, yes, 45) and facial injuries, so that can stand as the last official statement by police, and it in fact is linked above. If anything about that item (direct link
http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2008/12/26/man-injured-in-atv-collision/
) is inaccurate, anyone directly involved should contact SPD to ask them to make a correction.
Short of being contacted directly by those directly involved in incidents (and all our contact info is linked from the About page) for a followup story, or finding them ourselves (we have not seen the police report on this incident so we do not have access to the names of anyone involved, thus far), we go with what the police report, and make it clear that they’re the source of the info.
We often go to incident scenes ourselves since we have police-issued media credentials and therefore the same right to cover as tv, radio, newspapers, but the roads around us remained too treacherous at that hour to try to roll out for anything but a huge story in which information from the scene could make a life/death difference to WSBers, in which case we would have gotten to the scene no matter what it took – TR

Rick in thepark December 27, 2008 (11:29 am)

If it’s the same guys , and I believe it is, they have been bombing up and down Fauntleroy way and totally tore up the grassy fields at Solstice Park with those d****ed things for days.