Seen on the West Seattle Bridge: Wrong-way driver

First, Grant mentioned it on the WSB Facebook page. Then Rosalie e-mailed a longer report:

Tonight at 9:30 while driving home (west) on the Spokane viaduct , a car was driving east on the westbound lanes. A little scary, drivers had to move out of the way. The wrong way driver made no attempt to turn around or stop, just kept driving along. It didn’t appear to be a cop or ER vehicle. If you hear about this from others I hope you’ll post something, it would be interesting to find out what happened. In order get on those westbound lanes the car would have had to come down the bridge on the wrong side…

We have an inquiry out to police to ask if they got involved at any point. (Those westbound lanes, of course, were to close about half an hour later for another round of construction work.)

1:43 AM: Southwest Precinct Lt. Alan Williams says police did get multiple reports about the wrong-way driver, who was “last reported to be heading eastbound up Columbian Way, so South Precinct officers went to look for it.” No report that the driver was found, though.

jk November 9, 2011 (11:31 pm)

Sounds scary! Saw that years ago elsewhere and it is literally nauseating if you’re in the traffic coming up against it. Doesn’t seem like that’s even an easy ‘mistake’ to make on the bridge.

sun*e November 10, 2011 (12:33 am)

Wow! Now that’s something I’ve NEVER seen…and hope I NEVER do! Too scary!

Smitty November 10, 2011 (6:46 am)

Someone is finally listening to me!

I have been saying for months that they should treat that westbound inside lane (starting at Fauntleroy) as a reversible. In the morning it would reduce congestion incredibly – especially around the point where trucks and cars are merging from below.

Hope all are safe!

teacher/mom November 10, 2011 (8:42 am)

Smitty, I’ve been thinking along those same lines as I drive across the WS viaduct westbound. Make those two new lanes to the north westbound and leave the two we now drive in as reversible. Wow, four lanes out of WS in the morning! Heaven!

datamuse November 10, 2011 (12:55 pm)

Wonder if it was the same person I encountered going the wrong way on Western Ave last month.
.
When I honked at her she TOOK BOTH HANDS OFF THE WHEEL and made a wide-eyed face at me. Still not sure what that was supposed to accomplish.

One More Time November 10, 2011 (8:46 pm)

I was on the bridge last night and saw the guy come up the Delridge off-ramp the wrong way and head up the bridge. It was quite shocking, and he or she did not make any attempt to stop. Just kept swerving around cars and going.