48 Replies to "Update: Deadly crash on 16th SW "

• cjboffoli March 10, 2010 (12:28 am)

  Additional images from this incident: http://bit.ly/9gDGIy

• Catherine March 10, 2010 (1:39 am)

  Yikes. We saw two fire engines drive by our house on 12th; they must’ve been on the way back from the scene. Sorry to hear about the fatality, my T&P are with their family.

• Pablo March 10, 2010 (10:03 am)

  I live on that same block and “felt” the accident last night. This isn’t the first accident here, I’ve had 2 cars totaled just being parked on the street, I don’t know if anything can be done to slow traffic down on 16th ave, because some people think it’s a freeway.
  Fortunately, this person didn’t hit anybody, there were 2 girls that were driving in the opposite direction with a baby in the car and they almost got hit by this car. they said that by the way they saw the guy drive he may have been intoxicated.

• velo_nut March 10, 2010 (11:53 am)

  How’s the tree?

• Chuck and Sally\\\\\\\'s Van Man March 10, 2010 (2:07 pm)

  My guess was racing, but DUI (at high speed, apparently) works, too. And, I’m guessing, youth.

  I had a very good friend die in the DUI crash and resulting car fire that tied up the West Seattle bridge about four years ago in late June. He was just a passenger, but made a poor decision simply by getting in that car. As much as it angers me that DUI accidents like this still happen, my heart goes out to the family of the driver, as I know firsthand the pain they are going through. Thank God he did not harm anyone else.

  Chuck

• Jan March 10, 2010 (2:17 pm)

  He was a very kind man who was not racing and he by far was not old. He was 45 years of age.

  As for the person who asked how was the tree, your mother clearly raised you with no manners.

  • WSB March 10, 2010 (2:23 pm)

    Though there is no official ID yet, SW Precinct leadership we spoke with during an event just concluded (story to come) did indeed say the victim was in his mid-40s.

• JanS March 10, 2010 (2:45 pm)

  we’re all quick to judge..but maybe he had some kind of medical emergency while he was driving..it IS possible. Thoughts and prayers to his family.

• OP March 10, 2010 (4:12 pm)

  JanS makes a heckuva good point and a reminder. Just because it occured in a sketchy area does not equal racing, DUI, etc. Heart attack, seizure, etc., are possible. And it’s all speculation until the police report and autopsy are done. May God be with the victim, and his family and friends.

• Claire March 10, 2010 (4:34 pm)

  OP – This isn’t a “sketchy” area. It’s no more sketchy than anywhere else. Bad things happen in good neighborhoods too.

• Cowboy March 10, 2010 (5:46 pm)

  He Was a great man although like us all he had some difficulties in his life and as one of his best friends he will truly be missed. As will his goofy and slightly quirky attitude. Always willing to offer help if you needed it he would not turn you down if he could avoid it. Now who am I gonna call when I have a random question about the gap for a sparkplug on a 1960’s Snapper. My Thoughts are with you buddy and may the whiskey flow like buttermilk and the beers never sour I’ll see you when I get there even if it may be many an Hour

• Mike March 10, 2010 (8:31 pm)

  I had my wife call 911 when it 1st happened I was just leaving to go to work and locking the front door as i turned to see this car going about 70mph i thought gee slow down and seconds later i hear the crash and look and could see parts from the car going through the air.I ran to the car it look like it had bounced off a phone pole and then wrapped around aTree It took fire trucks i’d say about 5minutes to arrive and right away they started to work on getting the man outta the car He looked dead as he was pulled from the car Rescue crews did all they could to revive the man but it was obvious the Man who crashed his car had no chance He was declared dead at the scene.I really wish people would slow down on our street people drive fast all the time on 16th ave sw and now we all see what can happen.
  My heart goes out to this guys family after all any loss of life is sad.

• Aim March 10, 2010 (8:33 pm)

  OP have you ever been in this area? DEFINITELY NOT sketchy. It’s a neighborhood full of young families.

• Angelina March 10, 2010 (8:57 pm)

  TO Cowboy,
  I am truly sorry about your loss. May he rest in peace!

  And to comment to OP, nothing sketchy here! Try living in Beacon Hill, now things can get ‘sketchy’ there! THis area is amazing and I feel completely safe!

• trisha March 10, 2010 (10:02 pm)

  I live across the street and last night I went to help him. Im an RN and thought perhaps I could do something but when I arrived it was clear to me he died on impact. He had no pulse and some other observations. For the family that are mourning I want you to know that it was instant with no pain. I am so sorry for your loss.

• dawsonct March 11, 2010 (7:26 am)

  Was the car a Toyota?

  • WSB March 11, 2010 (7:30 am)

    I believe the police summary to which I linked has the car’s make.

• Ernie March 11, 2010 (7:31 am)

  I knew him well for years. He helped everyone when he could. Which was often on their vehicles. I had never seen him drive in the manner reported. 60 or 70 mph on 16thsw is not reflective of his character
  and I suspect mechanical or medical cause. His car was clunker and he wasn’t a racer.
  That being said, I will miss his corney humor, our music discussions and his quirky wit. Many friends toasted to our buddy “Derwood” last night and many tears were shed. We’ll miss you man. RIP

• bobbie March 11, 2010 (8:02 am)

  First to Mr. Mason’s family & friends, I am truly sorry for your loss. For us as a community, it is always difficult to lose a person who is unselfish & giving. I encourage everyone to honor Mr. Mason by remembering his willigness to help others & to take time out on a regular basis to see a need & fill it.

  As far as “our” neighborhood goes – we have a sense of community here. While gathered at the crash scene the first thing out of most mouths was – is there anything I can do to help? & there was also concern for the witnesses who had to see such a terrible tragedy unfold. A tragedy such as this can bring postive change & build stronger bonds if we let it & remember to “pay it forward”.

• cjboffoli March 11, 2010 (12:25 pm)

  The car was a Saturn.

• OP March 11, 2010 (3:37 pm)

  Aim, Claire and Angelina: Fair enough. You’re right, my perception may not equal reality. (Likewise, I could live in a “nice” neighborhood and it may not be.)

• Angel March 11, 2010 (4:27 pm)

  Definitely not a “sketchy” neighborhood. I grew up in this place (since ’88) and as Aim said, full of young families.
  Darrell will be missed! It’s sad he won’t be here to see that we got the Fairlane running again (start drivin it next week) because he helped start the engine rebuild project. He was super goofy and an endless source of info from the crazy useless stuff to the super important to know stuff. RIP Derwood!

• Evil Twin March 11, 2010 (6:29 pm)

  If Darryl has Internet access wherever he is, he’d be laughing his ass off at dawsonct’s Toyota post. Good one, dawsonct– don’t lose that humor.

• Mike March 11, 2010 (7:49 pm)

  Bobbie enjoyed talking and meeting you Remember my wife Sandy said Nice to meet you? but unfortunately it had to be on such bad Circumstances…Anyways we are going to go light some candles over at the crash location right now.
  Darryl may You Rest Well we didn’t know you but you touched our hearts if only for a brief moment.

  RIP

• delores March 11, 2010 (9:45 pm)

  anyone else find it a little strange/creepy that the 1st comment on this article is a link to more images? honestly, how many pics of a fatal car crash does someone need to see? i know that no one is being forced to click on the link and look at the pics but it really seems to me to be rather morbid and in pretty bad taste.

• cjboffoli March 11, 2010 (10:35 pm)

  delores: As it happens, those images have been viewed thousands of times in just the few days they’ve been up. Actually, more than any set I’ve put up in recent memory. If you don’t want to see them then, yes, you can exercise a choice not to click. But it seems many other people wanted to see them.
  .
  I’m not sure how images of an empty car can be construed as being in bad taste. We all take a considerable risk every time we get behind the wheel. Perhaps these images will serve as a reminder that we should slow down, get off our cell phones, drive cautiously, etc. Part of reporting the news involves covering human tragedy. In my mind it is a matter of truth, not taste.

• - R - March 11, 2010 (11:05 pm)

  Pull-a-Part My Heart.

• Mike March 12, 2010 (12:00 am)

  To cjboffoli
  Thanks for sharing the pictures Just a reminder on what can happen out there.
  Please everyone DriveSafe!

• sam March 12, 2010 (9:30 am)

  regarding “DriveSafe”, and reminders to slow down, get off cell phones, drive cautiously, etc, and the note from Mike on March 10, noting that the car was going 70 mph….

  has there been any determination yet by the traffic collision investigation team of what happened, other than what was witnessed by others ? ie, was it mechanical failure, or medical emergency that caused the speeding, or something else?

  prayers for those who lost a family member or friend.

  • WSB March 12, 2010 (9:58 am)

    It takes months in most cases. So speculation is pretty futile – there is not likely to be an official determination for quite some time – TR

• dawsonct March 12, 2010 (10:36 am)

  Mr. Mason sounds like he was a heck of a good guy and a fine presence in his neighborhood. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to his family and friends, who have apparently lost a very bright part of their lives. I am so sorry for your loss.
  CT

• cjboffoli March 12, 2010 (1:09 pm)

  sam: My suggestion was more in a general sense. Cars and driving are dangerous even under the best circumstances.

• Mike March 12, 2010 (2:35 pm)

  To Sam
  I would love for the investigators to piece together the speed he was going and to know it was a very high rate of speed which sounds so unlike Darryl from what i am reading from other comments but i did see just how fast he was going and thought to myself Slow Down,people drive like that all the time on this street 16th ave sw and there were no skid marks at all to indicat he even tried to stop and from the sounds of the crash when i turned around and could see debris flying throuh the air i could tell he had a pretty bad impact.I ran to the car when it 1st happend.
  Medical emergency?I hope we all get an update at some time.
  I really do wish people would take the time and slow down around here and not just here on 16th sw but be a bit more careful when out there driving anywhere because it took just seconds from the time he passed my house for that crash to happen and then what…Plus we should just all be alot more careful out there on the roads.
  Thank you to everyone for your comments.

• Dot March 13, 2010 (8:32 am)

  My sincere sympathies to Mr. Mason’s family and friends. May he rest in peace.

  I live 1/2 block from the scene and heard the speeding and then the impact. It was definitely the sound of a speeding vehicle. In that split second of the speeding sound I was shaking my head. It is all too frequent we have cars screaming up and down 16th. Some in daylight but most often after 9 or 10pm and through the night. Anybody who travels 16th has seen multiple high impact crashes at the end of 16th the college. Most all were racing and could not negotiate the turn at their rate of speed. So many that the home located there has concrete bulkheads installed near the road in order to protect themselves. SPD needs more visibility after dark on the stretch of 16th from Holden to the college. It is an almost nightly pattern.

  As to “OP” – you could not possibly live in our neighborhood. Nor do you look around much if you “perceive” this neighborhood as sketchy. Unless, of course, you are ignorant enough to believe one needs to have a Beach Drive or the like zip code in order to be considered hardworking and law abiding citizens. We are a neighborhood of friends, friendliness, smiles and waves. Our homes and yards are clean and tidy. Our children are supervised and watched over by all. We are middle class hardworking people and I take great umbrage to you spewing forth nothing more than a testimony to your ignorance of our neighborhood. It is certainly your right to post and make comments – but save your self some embarassment and ill-will by making comments on matters of which you know nothing.

• Diane Mason March 13, 2010 (11:16 pm)

  the victim was my brother. We grew up in this area. i actually lived in the apartment complex behind the fence in this picture yrs ago. I want to thank everyone whom has said prayers for my family. My brother will be missed by many. thank you again for the prayers and condolences.

• Brianna Mason March 15, 2010 (2:04 pm)

  Thank you for the prayers for my family. My dad was a good man, no matter what people say. He is missed dearly by many. The world won’t be the same without him.

• Morgan (friend of daughter) March 15, 2010 (4:52 pm)

  Although I didn’t know the man personally, from what I’ve heard of him through his daughter, a dear and close friend of mine, Mr. Mason will be missed. Shout out to Brianna!

• Andy March 16, 2010 (7:51 am)

  I knew him from the bar. I am now sober because I did not want to end up like this. My only thanks is that no one else was hurt. This should be a wakeup call to those who are “drinking a lot of beers” in his memory. Perhaps sobriety would be a better option to celebrate Darryl’s life and mourn his death.

• Tim Clark March 16, 2010 (4:18 pm)

  My heart and prayers go out to the family and friends of Darryl Mason. He was a good man and will be sorley missed. He was an angel and the good lord needed him. R.I.P Darryl

• Stephanie Johnson March 16, 2010 (5:35 pm)

  Darryl was a GOOD man, but he was afraid and lost and I was unable to reach him. His daughter is smart, funny and talented – very much her father’s daughter. He hadn’t seen her in 10 years because of the bar. I always thought we had time but time ran out. I know that had anyone else been killed or injured in the wreck, he would never have forgiven himself. If I have learned anything from this travesty it is that if having frailties make you a bad person there is no hope for humanity. Darryl – may you finally find the peace you so richly deserve in your new journey – you will never be forgotten

• Mike Gross March 16, 2010 (9:33 pm)

  Darryl I’m going to miss you. Back in the mid 80’s when I first moved to West Seattle I was in the Coast Guard then. I met Darryl at the Tug a place that I was told I could play pool and meet some nice people. I wasn’t inside more than a few minutes when Darryl introduce himself and invited me to play. The stories that Darryl would tell over the years from blackholes of space to how to fix a vintage car were awesome. The Coast Guard transfered me away in 1989, but when I returned 6 years later. I stop in the Tug and there was Darryl playing pool. When he turned around and saw me the 1st thing he said was what took you so long its your turn. Darryl may you find the wonders of the universe in your new voyage.

• John March 21, 2010 (9:12 am)

  This man was my lifetime friend. We sort of parted ways a couple of years ago, but stayed in touch when we could. He was always a cautious driver, but like most of us had his moments.
  I cannot say if it was alcohol or speeding. If it was, then it was a rare occasion. The irony is that this happened only a couple of blocks aways from my house, and it was a shock to hear the news the next morning.

  He will be missed, and I have great memories of our friendship that will last for the rest of my life.

  God speed Darryl.

• John March 21, 2010 (9:26 am)

  My son was told by a friend of his that he saw the accident. The kid says the car was speeding somewhat, but hit the bump just before going down the hill northbound and lost control. My wife and I hit that bump in our Honda last night, and if you are speeding, I can imagine that it would be enough to lift the car off of the ground or knock the steering a little off.

  My prayers go out to Doug, Diane, Donna, Don and Doty, as well as Brianna and Stephanie. All of Darryl’s friends have you in our hearts. I wish I could have spent more time with him – and tried.

  Darryl was a wonderfully spirited and brilliantly eccentric personality that always reminded people of morals, ethics and practicality. He will always be remembered for putting others before himself and sacrificing his time for others.

• John March 21, 2010 (9:29 am)

  Thanks to the neighbors for leaving our candles. Our flowers disappeared, but the candles are still there and still flickering after a week.

• Allofus March 24, 2010 (10:26 pm)

  D.A.M., We’ll Miss You!

  – T H E E N D –

• Sheila March 27, 2010 (10:07 am)

  To Brianna, I’m sorry if you heard bad things about your Dad. I personally have never heard a bad thing said about him and I’ve known him for years. He was a good and kind man and he loved you dearly. We’ll all miss him deeply. “I love you Darryl”. RIP

• John March 28, 2010 (12:22 pm)

  The memorial was beautiful and well attended. It’s clear that Darryl touched many people in his life, and his caring and helpful nature is something to remember – that all should do whenever possible. One of the deepest aspects of Darryl is his commitment to doing most things as right as possible. His famous approach to technical things was to “do it right, or don’t do it at all”. His approach to people was very often approached with the same attitude.

• Stephanie Johnson March 28, 2010 (5:58 pm)

  To Sheila – The people who said bad things about Darryl never even knew him. He always did the best he could for her and they just didn’t care to understand. Luckily, she got both our stubborness and she doesn’t let what other people affect her opinions. She loved him very much and I regret that she will never really get to know him and benefit from it. I have tried to raise her to not be judgmental because everybody has a right to choose their own path. Thank you for all of your kind thoughts – I wish we could have been at the memorial but we were in spirit.

Sorry, comment time is over.