3:16 PM: Thanks to the person who texted us with the tip that a crash reported on Admiral Way just west of California SW involves several cars. So far we’ve heard that no one is hurt but eastbound traffic on Admiral is affected. We’re en route to find out more.
3:36 PM: Our crew sent the photo added above and reports that four cars are involved, right in front of the Bank of America. Eastbound lanes are blocked there while tow trucks are awaited.
I wonder if someone was going into the bank parking lot from Admiral? I’ve almost been clobbered there a couple of times by people zipping in there.
When I go often times to either shop the grocery stores or banking in the admiral neighborhood I park in residential areas and walk in and back out due to the almost constant congestion also by bicycle when I am cycling. This 4 way intersection at california and admiral needs a walk all ways maybe.
Well, if we are dreaming, I want Admiral WB to have a Right-turn-only lane @ CA rather than the beat-em-to-cheat-em lane that coincidentally converges right where this accident occurred.
I often notice people trying to enter BOA where it clearly says exit only. Glad no on is hurt.
It appears the traffic is heading EB. What would the above referenced right turn lane do to prevent this?
Instead of knickers getting bunched about the proper use of already congested roads… Zipper merge people.
I wish your dream would come true JayDee. I often wonder how many horns are pushed a day West of Calif as cars rush to merge/cut off cars in the left lane. I think DOT decided two lanes need go straight here to keep the back up at a minimum and figure – hey let the general public try to get along.
It’s definitely Eastbound, so that’s actually around where the second lane starts. From the looks of the damage, my guess is that the white car was stopped/slowed a lot more than the white truck realized. Truck rear-ended car. Then the black SUV behind the truck also didn’t realize everyone was stopped. Swerved to avoid the crash, and ended up hitting the VW that was waiting to exit the BOA parking lot.
Although it isn’t related, I would echo the desire for the Westbound right lane to be a right-turn only onto California, with the exception of transit. It’s not merging. It’s a few people deciding they’re going to skip to the front of the line, and then drag race their way past everyone else when the light turns green.
Really? Someone’s so worked up that people in the WB right lane are allowed to merge with those in the left lane, that they can’t help but bring it up in an unrelated article?
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Surely there must be better things to worry about than whether “the other guy” gets ahead of you on the road…
Mel- it really does get tiresome when it it is the same people doing it day after day after day.
When others drive 5 over or begin to stop way way further back from the intersection than they need to I will always look for ways to get ahead of those people especially when a merge happens. I personally can usually get all the way through an intersection before the car next to me clears the first exit without squealing the tires or anything like that. Just with simple smooth acceleration. It seems as tho so many people hesitate even after looking multiple times. At some point your going to need to just go or that jerk that wants to drive the posted speed limit will pass you unessecarilly.
“Surely there must be better things to worry about than whether “the other guy” gets ahead of you on the road…”
When it involves a person gunning it to get in front of you, cutting in just in time to avoid hitting a parked car in front of 7-11, causing everyone else to slow down, and backing up traffic, and it happens every light of every evening commute, yeah I think it’s a worthwhile thing to point out.
What Diane said. This accident was all about someone trying to ENTER the EXIT of the bank parking lot.
I can remember twice having to go the wrong way because of delivery trucks blocking the alley. That and those arrows really need to be repainted. They’re fading away.
I was in the BOA lot when this occurred, the white truck slammed the stopped car at full clip, no skid, no brakes. Obviously distracted, that’s the real cautionary tale. I think the SUV veered to avoid the truck then hit the guy exiting BOA.
I see two scenarios that may have happened: 1) The scenario ktrapp described above, or 2) what acemotel and Diane said. In scenario 2 I envision the black SUV illegally entered the Exit of the bank parking lot, hitting the VW. The white truck may have been following the black SUV too closely and when the SUV came to a stop after its impact, the white truck swerved into the left lane, hitting the white car which was stopped at the light. In either scenario, the drivers of the SUV and truck would be the ones at fault. And in either scenario, based on the damage visible in the photo it looks like the largest impact was the one between the white truck and car.
And right after I posted my comment above I see that KeithB provided the answer as I was typing. Scenario 1 it is.
There really needs to be a right turn only lane wb at California and Admiral. EVERY day westbound on Admiral the same jerks race up the right lane and cut in at the last second by 711, then slam on their brakes to avoid rear ending traffic slowing for the new light that seems to be continually red. I have no problem with normal ” merging” traffic, but most do this with total disregard for bus, pedestrian, bike or driveway/sidestreet safety in mind. Reminds me of Bellevue traffic….”screw you, my BMW trumps all” kind of attitude. Major accident waiting to happen here. Don’t believe me? Hang out at 711 during any evening rush hour
I’m just curious… What’s the big RUSH all about? I mean clearly people rush to just get in front of you to just get in front of you… Or they have lost all common courtesy. Prob the latter. Drive the speed limits, follow the street laws and we will all get around just fine. It works and prevents accidents. It’s really that simple …
I believe common courtesy isn’t as common as it used to be Elle. I have no idea what the rush is. My, how WS has changed though….
Sorry, comment time is over.
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