West Seattle traffic-alert update: California/Myrtle open again after 5-vehicle crash

(WSB photo)
6:20 PM: A crash involving as many as five vehicles is blocking southbound traffic at California/Myrtle, just south of the south Morgan Junction business district.

6:32 PM: Our crew reports that no one is seriously hurt, and no one will have to go to the hospital. That also means the scene will be cleared sooner rather than later, since no serious injuries means the major investigation team won’t be needed. Police are on scene and trying to sort out exactly what happened. Traffic remains down to one lane for both directions, so if you can avoid California between Frontenac and Myrtle for a while, do so.

6:37 PM: Update (via scanner) – now California is closed both ways until the crash is cleared. Photo added (two vehicles out of the frame).

7:38 PM: Just announced (via scanner) – scene’s clear and road has reopened both ways.

8:00 PM: Added photo shared by Sean, above, with a wider view of the scene, from earlier.

sophista-tiki March 14, 2015 (6:38 pm)

um,,, 5 vehicles? please tell me theres pics.

WSB March 14, 2015 (6:49 pm)

Yes, we’re adding photos. However, a couple of them apparently were so undamaged that our photographer had a hard time telling which ones they were; two are shown in the first photo we added. More-than-two-vehicle crashes are seldom all in one big pileup. – TR

Seattlite March 14, 2015 (7:46 pm)

I’m super glad that no one was seriously hurt. However, I hope there will be a report on what caused this accident.

WSB March 14, 2015 (8:06 pm)

There’ll be a report somewhere in SPD at some point. To be completely honest, I doubt we will ever get it. These types of reports are not available online and we only have so much bandwidth to pursue it through the system over days/weeks – our priorities have to go elsewhere. We report on these things (when no major injuries) primarily for the “what’s happening now” aspect – so people know the road is blocked, etc. – TR

m March 14, 2015 (7:49 pm)

How does that happen right there next to an elementary school and the Little Gym

Franci March 14, 2015 (8:34 pm)

I drove by before the road was closed. The small white sedan was in the wrong lane. The question is dud they swerve to avoid another vehicle or??

justducky March 14, 2015 (9:00 pm)

There was another accident in Morgan Junction earlier today, 2:30pm-ish. Driving north on California, there was a police car blocking the lane in front of the McDonalds/gas station. Looked to be an older black Buick/Oldsmobile with chrome rims hit a utility pole head on, there was another lighter (gray/white?) sedan (Hundai/Kia) facing southwest in the NB lane, front end damage. Saw the officers talking to people and taking notes. Hope all those involved are okay.

WSB March 14, 2015 (9:13 pm)

JD, no SFD callout for anything in that area anywhere near that time frame, which suggests either no, or extremely minor, injuries.

jane schmidt March 14, 2015 (9:23 pm)

I was in one of the 4 cars involved. Driver making a left turn in front of the white car caused the white car to hit me and then ended up wedged under the front bumper of the jeep.

Franci March 14, 2015 (11:28 pm)

Its been a crazy traffic day. I narrowly missed being in an accident today. Headed south on 35th with a green light going thru intersection at Webster.

There was a car in the left lane waiting to make a left turn, as I entered the intersection suddenly there was a northbound car turning left into my path/lane. Scared me to bits, I’m still not entirely clear how the accident was avoided, it happened so fast.

Rudy March 15, 2015 (7:43 am)

I’m not sure it sounds like the cause of this accident, but that stretch of road is one of the hardest places to pull onto California. It is so hard to see past parked cars from side streets. I often feel like it’s partly dumb luck to pull out into a clear roadway. I’m never sure there’s not a small car coming that I couldn’t see from between the parked cars on California.

Suzette March 15, 2015 (11:01 am)

Driving was crazy yesterday – some guy turned right at the red light south bound on California, cutting off oncoming cars that had the green arrow north bound, to turn at Edmonds then stopped mid-block to hold up the cars he cut off so he could cross the two double yellow lines to get coffee at Uptown. It was a close one!

Franci March 15, 2015 (3:08 pm)

I am amazed at the number of folks I see making a uturn on this stretch during high traffic hours. Often times its done with no signaling that a change in course is imminent.

metrognome March 15, 2015 (10:23 pm)

there will be a lot more accidents once the 30 unit/no parking building fills with tenants. Parked cars will be jammed closer together, impinging on driveways and crosswalks. There are 4 large multi-family dwellings on the east side of CA between Myrtle and McD’s. Anyone who tries to turn left (south) from one of these buildings is really pushing their luck, with all the cars speeding down Gatewood Hill, all the congestion from the school and pre-school, and all the cars hitting the gas when the CA/Fauntleroy light turns green. Glad I’m selling my condo.