West Seattle traffic-alert update: West Marginal Way reopens after one-car crash

| Highland Park | West Seattle news | WS breaking news

2:54 PM: Heads up if you’re headed to or from Highland Park, among other affected areas: A crash at West Marginal Way SW and Highland Park Way (map) is leading police to close West Marginal at the scene and for at least a few blocks north.

3:18 PM: Our crew at the scene says a car hit a pole and hydrant (though there’s no water flowing from the latter) on the west (southbound) side of the road a short distance north of Highland Park Way. While the car will be towed soon, the pole and resulting suspended wires have to be taken care of by City Light. P.S. Just added a cameraphone photo but because of the sun and tree cover, the pole hit by the car is hard to see – we’ll substitute clearer photos when our crew gets back. The driver was not seriously hurt.

3:35 PM: Via radio, police are saying City Light can’t get there for another hour or so because it’s shift change.

Meantime, the closure is requiring semi-trucks to turn around as well as smaller vehicles, since they are heavy users of this road. So we do advise avoiding the area entirely TFN.

4:01 PM: Substituted a clearer photo. West Marginal at that spot is still closed off, be forewarned.

5:20 PM: Open both ways, but City Light repair crew has outside southbound lane blocked.

Amy June 17, 2013 (3:14 pm)

Thank you! I was just about to go out, headed in that direction. Hope no one is seriously injured.

GenHillOne June 17, 2013 (3:15 pm)

I was going in the opposite direction of this car and the noise was horrendous. I called 911 maybe before it even came to a stop. Sending positive thoughts.

trickycoolj June 17, 2013 (3:15 pm)

Let us know if we can get through from the 1st AVE bridge or not from the E. Marginal area. That’s my commute home and I was going to head out in about an hour.

WSB June 17, 2013 (3:24 pm)

Tricky – the crash is just north of the HP/West Marginal intersection so I believe you can get back up the hill. Checking with our crew. Although if it were me – I would just avoid the area altogether, because sometimes the closure configuration changes for repairs, towing, etc.

GenHillOne June 17, 2013 (3:54 pm)

Is there any word on the driver – medic vs. aid? He/she traveled off the road, on the side walk if there is one, for hundreds of yards without braking.

WSB June 17, 2013 (4:04 pm)

Hi, I added in one rev that he wasn’t seriously hurt – if at all. Was still there talking to police when our crew was there. No medic units or ambulance summoned. – TR

GenHillOne June 17, 2013 (4:11 pm)

Wow, I’m relieved, but not what I expected at all. Maybe I can stop shaking now!

Lizzle206 June 17, 2013 (4:19 pm)

They should put signs up. You don’t know it’s closed until you get closer to the incident.

WSB June 17, 2013 (4:22 pm)

We won’t get to go back down and check for an hour or so – so if anyone sees it reopened before then, please advise so your fellow drivers/riders/walkers/etc. know too – we’re monitoring the scanner but even then, we might miss a quick mention “road reopening.” Thanks!

Kay K June 17, 2013 (4:33 pm)

Is this related to the hit and run on the police tweet? Same location 26m ago

WSB June 17, 2013 (6:13 pm)

As we warn on our Crime Watch page, you have to watch out for the terminology in the police auto-tweets. For one, the tweets come out at least half an hour after the incidents. For two, “accident-injuries includes hit and run” just means that this is the classification which can include hit and run but does not necessarily mean it was one. This is the only crash this afternoon at that spot, so it’s certainly for that crash, but it wasn’t a hit-run – the driver was there at the scene … TR
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