(Photo courtesy Tina D)
FIRST REPORT, 11:29 PM: Via the scanner, police say southbound 35th is closed at Dawson right now (by Camp Long) because of a crash – described as a hit-run. They say witnesses report the vehicle that took off after the crash was a black Jeep Liberty likely to have serious front-end damage. (Call 911 if you have any information on that.) No word of injuries so far; we’re off to check it out.
12:22 AM: Back from the scene. Thanks to Tina for sharing the photo added atop the story; WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli was already there when we arrived to check it out – the next three images are his:
Witnesses told us the driver of the mangled Mini, hit head-on, was taken to the hospital, but did not seem seriously hurt; the scene, however, was aptly described by Christopher as a “car-parts explosion.”
The Mini’s engine wound up on the west sidewalk of 35th; other pieces and parts were in the planting strip and the street, the full width of 35th. There was word a car on the other side might have been “nicked.” One tree on the west side was knocked down, and witnesses told us two others were damaged.
1:36 AM: Added photos from Christopher. The wrecked Mini has been taken away on a flatbed tow truck; a standard tow truck arrived fairly quickly, but the car was in no shape to roll away with that kind of truck, so a flatbed had to be brought in instead.
9:38 AM UPDATE: Just checked with SPD to ask if there was any news of the reported second car having been found. According to media liaison Det. Mark Jamieson, while the final report is not available yet, information in the system matches what we reported above; officers checked 35th as far south as Barton for any sign of the other vehicle (that’s the direction in which it was reported to be traveling) and found nothing. SDOT crews had to be called to help clean up the scene, since the debris (including the downed tree) had spread so widely.
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