Update: 4 West Seattle crashes in the span of 90 minutes

Everything mentioned below unfolded between about 2:30 and 4 pm (see the 911 log):

ORIGINAL 3:43 PM REPORT: Just got e-mail from Megan, a text from Sue and a tweet from Rasmus – a crash at Fauntleroy/Dawson (north of Fairmount Playfield here’s a map) has closed Fauntleroy in both directions. No other details so far – except that Megan saw no obvious signs anyone was hurt. 3:52 PM: There’s also a “heavy rescue” call – flipped car, according to a comment below this story – at 37th/Juneau. En route to check it out. (added 5:50 pm, Tony Bradley sent a shot of that, no serious injuries reported):

And WSB photojournalist Christopher Boffoli has checked out an earlier call at 48th/Dakota, which he says is sending at least two people to the hospital (added 5:37 pm, video of that scene):

… should be clearing soon, though. Christopher reports, “SPD tells me that an SUV full of tourists (who only arrived in Seattle today) heading west on Dakota failed to yield and struck another SUV that was crossing on 48th. Two being transported to HMC. Firefighters had to use the jaws of life to extract one of the victims from the black SUV.”

4:26 PM: Just drove through Fauntleroy/Dawson – all clear now. Here’s one of Christopher’s photos, showing the debris in the road just before it was cleared:

We’re heading to doublecheck 37th/Juneau scene. 4:40 PM: The car here is about to be towed – 37th is still blocked (residential street) a few houses south of Juneau but should reopen as soon as the tow truck moves on. 4:48 PM: Tow truck’s headed out, 37th open again. So all three crash scenes are clear for your afternoon drive home. 5:22 PM: One more to add to all that – there was a medic call at 16th/Graham we were going to check out, but the call closed before we got there; KIRO flew its chopper over – says a bike rider suffered minor injuries.

5:43 PM UPDATE: Tony Bradley sent that photo of the 16th/Graham incident and reports, “Talking to witnesses, a male bicyclist in his late teens or early twenties was riding his bicycle southbound on 16th in front of the community college and for some reason rode into the back of a small SUV that was parked on the west side of the street. The witness said there was no other vehicle involved. The bike rider fell off the bike and landed in the middle of the southbound lanes of 16th. His injuries appeared minor and he was transported to the hospital in an AMR.”

26 Replies to "Update: 4 West Seattle crashes in the span of 90 minutes"

  • J February 2, 2010 (3:49 pm)

    Something must be in the air in that area. My husband just called to tell me someone just flipped their car in front of our house on 37th/Juneau. Thankfully, she appears to be okay, but the street is blocked with emergency vehicles.

    • WSB February 2, 2010 (3:51 pm)

      I see the heavy rescue call. Heading that way, was en route to check out Beach Drive slide scene work but that’ll have to wait. Thanks for mentioning it.

  • Peter February 2, 2010 (3:57 pm)

    Does anybody know what the minimum speed to flip a car is? A-Team fast or Dukes of Hazzard fast?

  • Tiff February 2, 2010 (4:00 pm)

    I live at Fauntleroy and Edmunds and the speeding has just BARELY lessened since the lane changes. Folks think they can just whip through there! It’s infuriating and frightening! I have noted 6 accidents along that 6 block line of Fauntleroy over the past year, all preventable. Why aren’t people paying attention when they drive?!

  • J February 2, 2010 (4:04 pm)

    Some drivers love to gun it going down our little residential street. Never mind all the kids, pets, and pedestrians in the area.

  • Tim February 2, 2010 (4:08 pm)

    Re: 37th and Juneau

    Heard the crash from two houses down and saw the results. 2-door hatchback clipped a parked SUV and had the one-in-a-million chance of being lifted and rolled. The driver claimed to be okay, if a little shaken.

  • Debbie February 2, 2010 (4:16 pm)

    I live at Fauntleroy and Dawson, just went out to take photos but nothing is there except some sawdust on the road. Fauntleroy is clear.

  • christopherboffoli February 2, 2010 (4:19 pm)

    My dad used to take me to the Joie Chitwood Thrill Shows as a kid. The Chitwood family used to do a lot of the car stunts for film and television, including one of my favorite childhood shows: CHiPs. I recall seeing them put cars up on two wheels at even very slow speeds. Seems to me that if you hit something at the right angle you can flip it without a lot of speed/force.

  • I. Ponder February 2, 2010 (4:49 pm)

    Interestingly, there is no traffic light across from the Fairmount Park Playfield to help kids and families cross safely. That park is used for soccer by hundreds of kids. When my son played there I had planned to turn getting a traffic signal into a personal project.

    I hope some other parents will notice the hazard and take it on as a safety project. It’s amazing how the most obvious safety improvements never happen unless people take it on as a personal mission.

  • sw February 2, 2010 (4:56 pm)

    What I want to know is if her text went through before the impact.

  • CMeagh February 2, 2010 (4:58 pm)

    I live just off Fauntleroy about two blocks south of Fairmount Playfield. I run almost daily, and have been driving to Lincoln Park to run on Beach Drive because of too many close calls with speeding drivers. I guess it will take a pedestrian getting hit to crack down on dangerous drivers, I just hope it isn’t me getting hit.

  • Dustin February 2, 2010 (5:33 pm)

    Some sort of King County Sheriff response at the Bartell’s on the corner of Roxbury and 15th ave in White Center. 3 squad cars and their SUV blocking parking lot entrance. I think I just heard a chopper go overhead as well. Guardian 1 maybe?

  • WSB February 2, 2010 (5:54 pm)

    I heard that chopper. Sounded military to me (as I randomly observed on Twitter at the time). Will nose around for any info on Bartell incident … Have just added more photos/video to the story above, meantime. In all, four crashes. Christopher went to two. Tony Bradley just sent pix from the two others. Thanks to EVERYBODY who was part of “team coverage” with first alerts, notes from the scene, pix, etc. … TR

  • christopherboffoli February 2, 2010 (5:54 pm)

    Wow. Nice shots Tony Bradley!

  • rlv February 2, 2010 (6:07 pm)

    there have been choppers flying back and forth overhead here on Alki for the last 20-30 minutes. can’t see if they’ve got police or military markings.

    • WSB February 2, 2010 (6:18 pm)

      checking on those. about to launch a separate item in the “checking on this” vein …

  • rlv February 2, 2010 (6:30 pm)

    thanks so much!

  • kls February 2, 2010 (7:14 pm)

    A correction on one item–the “Japanese tourists” were the parents of my good friend, who has lived in West Seattle for years. Someone made an inacurate and not very PC twist on this story. If she had parents in from Minnesota, the would not be referred to as “Midwestern tourists”!

    • WSB February 2, 2010 (7:22 pm)

      KLS – Christopher was at the scene and got info and I apologize if someone provided him with inaccurate info. Although I have to say, we probably would say “Midwestern tourists” or “tourists from California” – it’s one of those little details – we don’t usually ask “where are you from,” but if a detail like that is offered we’d report it. Again, sorry that we got inaccurate info … tr

  • austin February 2, 2010 (8:02 pm)

    Good job on being first in the race today drivers, particularly the winner who managed to flip it on a residential street. Keep mashing that gas pedal, your destination is further away every mile that passes.

  • Tracey February 3, 2010 (12:26 am)

    That is the most dangerous part of Fauntleroy because it is the first section, from either direction, where the road starts to get especially narrow and there is less visibility. I live in the Endolyne/Lincoln Park area, which has it’s own issues along Fauntleroy (mainly related to the ferry passengers). But, there’s at least one patrol car in the area at all times checking for speeders and at least pedestrians try more often to use the crosswalks.

    As for the previous comment about there not being a crosswalk for children and families near Fairmount Park, that is not true at all. I don’t remember the exact intersections, but there are two crosswalks within short walking distance of the park. It would be nice to see people use them, instead of having to worry every spring and summer that I might hit someone as they try to sneak between two parked cars and jaywalk.

  • wsgal February 3, 2010 (2:56 am)

    Glad the girl who flipped the car on 37th is okay. If her car had skidded another foot, she wouldn’t have been. Shout out to the fire dept for unbelievable response.

  • Shannon February 3, 2010 (6:08 am)

    The boy who was hit is actually only 13 years old (just tall like his dad) and was on his bike that was just a gift at Christmas, on his way to meet his little sisters at a bus stop up the street from their home. I’m not sure what caused the accident, but the boy is recovering at home now.

    • WSB February 3, 2010 (7:40 am)

      Thank you for the update, Shannon. Hope he has a speedy recovery.

  • christopherboffoli February 3, 2010 (10:28 am)

    kls: No assumptions were made here. The SPD officer at the scene who took their statement told me EXACTLY that: The car that apparently failed to yield was being driven by tourists who had arrived from Japan yesterday. There really was no reasonable way of corroborating this detail as it is not generally WSB practice to accost victims for a statement, especially if they are being strapped to a backboard. But I do know the officer who gave me this information and I do generally consider him a reliable source of information.

  • Karen Winter February 3, 2010 (8:40 pm)

    Regarding bike accident on 16th and Graham. This is right next to my house. Apparently he was in a hurry and looking for someone off to his right. He drifted out of the bike lane and hit the back of a parked car with enough force to flip over the handlebars. He *was* wearing a helmet, thankfully. I’m glad his injuries were minor enough that he can recover at home. He’s a 7th grader at Denny with my daughter. Best wishes!

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