Update: Driver hurt after car-flip crash in Morgan Junction

(Photo courtesy Edgar Riebe)
4:03 PM: On SW Morgan between 41st and 42nd, just east of West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor), police and fire are dealing with the flipped car you see above. Thanks to everybody who’s texted, called, sent photos. Metro says Route 128 is re-routed as a result – use the stop on Morgan east of 38th. More to come.

(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
4:09 PM: Added another photo. Our crew at the scene tells us the driver of the flipped car (added: 73, per SFD) was taken to the hospital; she hit a parked car that’s also seriously damaged.

Tow crews are at the scene now.

4:46 PM: The road is open again – Metro just texted that Route 128 is back to normal routing.

dsa January 29, 2015 (5:15 pm)

Sunny, dry, clear

petert January 29, 2015 (6:16 pm)

Really. How fast could have she been going on a sidestreet to flip an automobile ? Is 30 mph and a sharp enough angle of incidence enough to do it ?

WSB January 29, 2015 (6:34 pm)

Apparently the driver was coming downhill on Morgan.

john January 29, 2015 (6:43 pm)

i don’t get it? how do you flip a car in a 35mph zone? i have seen photos of so many flips on this blog since moving here 2 years ago. i have never seen anything like this anywhere! what a primitive place! don’t tell me it is only the hills…

WSB January 29, 2015 (7:17 pm)

Yes, Morgan is downhill to 42nd. As for how the driver flipped, don’t know. People lose control of vehicles in a variety of ways. Speeding? Distracted? Swerved to avoid something/someone? Hit an obstacle? Don’t know. We talked with SFD a little bit earlier and while the driver’s injuries weren’t major, they said the injuries were serious, which means police likely couldn’t talk to her right away to find out what happened. Re: the presumption of a high rate of rollovers here, I’ve said this before, but – we don’t cover all crashes. Lots of fender benders that we don’t hear about or have no reason to mention; they’re not blocking traffic, or not for long, etc. Rollovers, we cover pretty much all of them, as they usually draw a major response as this did (a “heavy rescue” callout, though a bystander got the driver out, SFD says, so they didn’t have to cut her out). So rollovers represent a much higher percentage of crashes we cover than of the crashes overall in WS. P.S. Here are national stats if you’re interested – scroll down a ways http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/810741.pdf

Cassie January 29, 2015 (6:57 pm)

So ridiculous. Seriously had to have been going so fast to do that. Morgan isn’t really a hill…..

ChefJoe January 29, 2015 (7:00 pm)

Wow, a Honda sedan is not a car I’d think would flip without a real effort.

Flippin' Car January 29, 2015 (7:46 pm)

This video shows a relatively low speed car flip – I think it depends on what they may have hit and the angles involved as much as the speed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFdC-u4Mia4

old timer January 29, 2015 (7:53 pm)

John, it is a 30 mph zone.
Maybe it is inattentiveness to ‘details’ like the actual speed limit that contribute to ‘accidents’ like this.

WSB January 29, 2015 (8:08 pm)

Old timer, please note that we *never* use the term “accident.” It’s subjective, and seldom at the time of initial reporting do we know the actual circumstances. // Meantime, local public-safety agencies have stopped using it too. A few weeks back, we noticed the online 911 log for Seattle Fire has switched from MVA-Motor Vehicle Accident to MVI – Motor Vehicle Incident. (Some MVIs have other designations for the callout, such as the one for this, “heavy rescue,” but if it’s fairly simple, it’s now an MVI.) Datapoint! Example at 3:43 pm: http://www2.cityofseattle.net/fire/realTime911/getRecsForDatePub.asp?action=Today&incDate=&rad1=des

Alan January 29, 2015 (8:04 pm)

I was among those outraged about rollovers, especially on residential streets. No doubt some are speeding, as most everyone seems to be, but you don’t have to be going fast to roll. Google “Low speed rollover” and you will find a variety of video, including this one of a Honda Civic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sbNBZvSx_A

G Unit January 29, 2015 (8:45 pm)

I’m curious if there are more accidents from people not paying attention (distracted driving) than people who are paying attention but going 10 mph over the speed limit. When you hit a parked car, on a clear sunny day, I am guessing that cell phones or other distractions are more often the cause rather than speed.

dsa January 29, 2015 (9:43 pm)

A state patrol officer told us at one of our safety meetings that accidents are avoidable and that the only true accident was…sorry I forgot. It’s been a long while since that meeting.

miws January 29, 2015 (9:43 pm)

A few weeks back, we noticed the online 911 log for Seattle Fire has switched from MVA-Motor Vehicle Accident to MVI – Motor Vehicle Incident

I noticed that too.

For a few days or so prior, I was seeing the occasional notation of “Incident”, but now it’s designated that way exclusively.

Mike

CeCe January 30, 2015 (7:10 am)

Where is the sense of compassion? You have no idea what happen. What if the driver had a medical issue and became unable to control the vehicle? Maybe they swerved to avoid hitting your cat that was crossing the street. Maybe they do have something personal going on that distracted them. The community should be showing concern the person not wondering how fast the driver had to be going into order to flip.

dsa January 30, 2015 (10:19 am)

You are supposed to be in control of your vehicle at all times in all conditions. I’m just quoting what was told me by the patrol, (no, no incident)

Jw January 30, 2015 (10:25 pm)

Maybe part of the problem is that people assume a car is Hard to flip…it’s not. It’s easy, even at low speed. Yep, even in your (enter ultra safe, modern, expensive car here.)

Sorry, comment time is over.