TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Post-storm Monday; Highland Park Way & Morgan flipped-car crashes

(10:53 AM UPDATE: Highland Park Way and Morgan have both reopened, post-crashes)

(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)

6:28 AM: Good morning! While Seattle City Light is still working on outages around the city, the map does not show any remaining in West Seattle that would seem to affect this morning’s commute – but please let us know if you discover otherwise (206-293-6302 text or voice, when you can use the phone safely/legally – from the passenger seat or after you get where you’re going) – thank you. Meantime, no incidents in the area, and for Eastside-bound commuters, yes, the 520 Bridge *did* reopen early this morning after wind-damage repairs.

6:42 AM: Just texted (thanks!) – the Delridge/Henderson signal is in flashing-red mode. (If you see a signal out, or road hazard, please report to SDOT at 206-684-ROAD, and then let us know.)

7:05 AM: Heavy rescue call for a crash at West Marginal/Highland Park Way. Avoid the hill. One tipster says it’s a multiple-car crash. We’re en route.

7:26 AM: It will be closed a while – serious enough that the special investigation team is being called out. Police are blocking the hill both ways. 8th southbound to Roxbury is jammed.

7:48 AM: Olson/Myers light is still flashing red and that’s making Roxbury backup worse.

7:54 AM: We finally made it to West Marginal/Highland Park Way. W. Marginal is open both ways. It’s the Highland Park Way hill that’s blocked off, and of course the turn to Highland Park.

SFD spokesperson Corey Orvold is here and just told our photographer that two cars are involved, each with one person inside, a 19-year-old woman in one, 21-year-old man in the other, and he has been taken to Harborview. Photo added – the crash scene is about 100 yards up the hill south/SW of Pioneer Industries, and debris is strewn across the roadway, so once the investigators are done, there will be a significant cleanup too.

8:08 AM: And for further verification that it will be closed a while:

Per crew on the scene, Highland Park Way SW just west of W Marginal Way SW will be closed for at least 2 hours while @SeattlePD investigates

— seattledot (@seattledot) March 14, 2016

8:23 AM: Bicycle riders and pedestrians are being allowed on the downhill HP Way sidewalk.

9:01 AM: New rollover crash reported – via scanner, 34th/Morgan, “vehicle hit a parked car and is flipped over on its top.”

9:16 AM: Morgan is blocked from just east of 35th SW to Lanham – we’ve added a photo of the flipped car, which is in the eastbound lane. The parked car the driver hit is on the westbound side of Morgan:

No major injuries so far as we can tell – a private ambulance is at the scene.

9:34 AM: Metro has sent an alert that Route 128 is routed off Orchard/Sylvan/Morgan between Delridge and 35th because of the aforementioned crash.

10:10 AM: Highland Park Way is reopening both ways, according to police discussion monitored via scanner – the post-crash cleanup is over.

10:53 AM: Metro has just sent the alert that it’s back to normal service on Morgan/Sylvan/Orchard, so that scene has cleared too.

Kevin March 14, 2016 (7:19 am)

Passed by the Highland Park Way crash, about midway on the hill. There was no ambulance/police yet, but as I was making my way to I-5, there was a firetruck going towards the accident.

One of the cars was rolled over on its top, the other was pretty messed up & airbags were deployed. Hope they’re alright.

Charlie March 14, 2016 (7:35 am)

What’s “the hill”?

Becky March 14, 2016 (7:45 am)

Diverted from the top of Highland Park, backtracked to Myers Way only to find very heavy traffic on Roxbury. The light at Roxbury/Myers Way (by Arrowhead Gardens) is functioning as a four-way stop. Not an easy commute out of White Center/Highland Park this morning.

Rob March 14, 2016 (7:46 am)

Traffic on the south end is not only bad with Highland Park Way being blocked, the Olsen/Myers Way traffic signal is still flashing red!

WSB March 14, 2016 (7:50 am)

I just added that, thanks. We saw it firsthand trying to get to W. Marginal from the south.
- WSB March 14, 2016 (8:01 am)
  
  I have deleted the comment that claimed a fatality because it was NOT TRUE, both SFD and SPD have told us at the scene.

cathy March 14, 2016 (8:01 am)

Came by here about 15 minutes ago. For those coming from the south wanting to make a right hand turn onto W Marginal Way, there are (or were) two buses that can’t go up the hill and they were pretty much parked there. Had to get in left lane, and then make the right hand turn to W Marginal.

Ann March 14, 2016 (8:06 am)

Glad to hear there was no fatality, our bus driver told us there was.

Kay K March 14, 2016 (8:09 am)

Sounds like right about the same location as the accident on the hill last week.

WSB March 14, 2016 (8:13 am)

We didn’t get to that one – just had a mention here but couldn’t go to the scene – that was Thursday evening. While we wondered aloud if authorities understand how major an arterial this is, I can say that this morning they are taking it very seriously. The dispatch of SPD units to control traffic in all ways was major, for example.
Kevin March 14, 2016 (8:17 am)

Makes sense.

Driving on that hill is crazy. The middle lanes are horribly cramped and there tends to be a fairly high amount of cars that drive on it.
Alan March 14, 2016 (8:56 am)

Yes, it is close to where the accident was last week. I assume that both most likely involved someone not negotiating the corner. I always try to be in the right-hand lane on the way up, as I worry about that. It isn’t a hard turn, but people let their cars run on that hill. I always downshift and work to keep my speed under 40 (It is a 30mph zone) while people fly by me. It is a wonder there aren’t more accidents at the turn, but it is odd that we have two so close together.

Halyn March 14, 2016 (8:19 am)

I work in the vicinity of 5th and Holden. If I took Delridge up to W Marginal, would I be able to make the left from Marginal to Highland Park and get to Holden that way?

If that’s not clear, what I’m talking about is taking Delridge all the way to the lower bridge and making a right onto whichever version of Marginal that is (I want to say SW Marginal Way S? W? Can’t remember)then following Marginal up to the intersection with the big hill and making a right turn there onto the road (I think it’s still named Highland Park at that point) and following the road under the 1st ave south bridge to the intersection at Holden & 599. Is that a viable route, or should I just wait to go to work til nine or so in the hopes that SW Olson/Myers way will clear up by then?

WSB March 14, 2016 (8:56 am)

Halyn, yes, that route is fine. Only thing blocked is the actual Highland Park Way hill west/south of W. Marginal and east/north of Holden.

Trickycoolj March 14, 2016 (9:05 am)

Shoot not a good day to commute out of High Point. Was finally going to take the bridge to avoid HP Way and now blocked from the other side. Drive safe today neighbors!

Trickycoolj March 14, 2016 (9:20 am)

People are flying through High Point streets that are only 1 lane wide with parking. Just watched 2 people nearly hit each other flying out of an alley. SLOW the eff down if you’re going to cut through!

Ben March 14, 2016 (10:06 am)

I agree. I’ve reported so many issues to SPD. Speed on resident streets all over West Seattle must be too big of an issue to be enforced. I’ve reported times and locations to SPD for 10 years with little to no effect.
- WSB March 14, 2016 (10:09 am)
  
  They have enforcement. They don’t have as many people as you think. Traffic is handled by a unit based downtown; local patrol responds to 911 calls. In the past week we’ve seen enforcement (unannounced) on Highland Park Way hill and elsewhere (look for either motorcycles or those smaller Chargers, now painted entirely dark blue). But if you want to hear it firsthand from SPD – come to tomorrow night’s West Seattle Crime Prevention Council, stand up and ask the captain/ops lt. directly and see what they say. – TR
- WSB March 14, 2016 (10:12 am)
  
  Update (also added to narrative) – Highland Park Way is reopening both ways – TR

Alan March 14, 2016 (9:32 am)

I’m glad that students at West Seattle Elementary would already be in classes. You can see the back of the sign warning to slow to 20 when children are present. The crosswalk is one house away, assuming they were travelling westbound.

WSguy March 14, 2016 (9:43 am)

Would it be feasible to add a google map link to the location of these crashes/backups? The descriptions are good but there are several smaller street names that are unknown except to those in immediate vicinity.

Also -, I’m always seeing these “hit parked car and flipped” stories – how does that happen??? I hope their license is taken away.

WSB March 14, 2016 (9:57 am)

WSGuy, I apologize, it’s a matter of time and also a matter of what device we’re using to publish (linking is difficult when publishing via phone, as we were doing for much of the HP Way incident). We do the best we can. – TR
Alan March 14, 2016 (10:00 am)

WSB usually does provide a link to google maps, which I appreciate greatly since I go there anyway!

Speaking of Google, search for videos on “low-speed rollover” and you will be surprised how easy it is. I know I was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sbNBZvSx_A

unknown March 14, 2016 (11:21 am)

I blame it on the time change and the rollovers are because the WS streets have magnets under the 1st layer of pavement and when a car gets slightly on its side it pulls it completely over! LOL!!!!

I. Ponder March 14, 2016 (1:34 pm)

I wonder how difficult it is to NOT get a driver’s license. ACCIDENT my foot! Driving too fast, too close, too out of control, beyond what the forces of physics allow (gravity and centrifugal force?), beyond your abilities, beyond the capabilities of your vehicle is not an ACCIDENT. It STUPIDITY!

Alan March 14, 2016 (2:03 pm)

I find myself wishing for more traffic patrols and not just speed traps. If I drive four miles, I find someone doing something stupid. I am constantly saying “I can’t believe they did that!” as I get passed on a residential street (while signalling left!) or passed on the right while on an arterial. People running stop signs, tailgating, turning left in front of traffic when the light turns green (I just learned this is called a Pittsburgh Left). It sometimes feels like everyone has gone crazy.
- sam-c March 14, 2016 (2:35 pm)
  
  yes, seriously. Re: stupid things. a couple weeks ago, we almost got sideswiped by a teenage-looking driver that came into our line in order to pass a cyclists. I don’t think she looked to see if anyone was in the left lane/our lane, and the adult in the car didn’t seem to be helping the teen learn very well…. (this was northbound on 35th, right around near camp long. Due to the line of traffic, we hadn’t seen that there was a cyclist in that other lane, otherwise, we might have anticipated the driver swerving into our lane.)
  - Alan March 14, 2016 (3:01 pm)
    
    Having taught three kids to drive, I know it is possible that the adult said “You will need to change lanes, as there are bicycles ahead”, not realizing they should have said, “slow down, turn on your signal and watch for an opening”. I told one son that we would take the next left, failing to tell him to wait for an opening. Why we didn’t have an accident is beyond me! I may be overly generous in giving them the benefit of the doubt.
pupsarebest March 14, 2016 (2:23 pm)

JC March 14, 2016 (2:44 pm)

Does anyone know if the Olsen/Myers Way traffic signal is still flashing red???? If it is, I need to find another route home from work.

WSB March 14, 2016 (2:51 pm)

JC – maybe someone will reply shortly and save us the gas, but in case they don’t, I’m going out in a few minutes to check. – TR
- WSB March 14, 2016 (4:21 pm)
  
  Finally got here. It’s working!

WestSide March 14, 2016 (4:59 pm)

Regarding the Olsen Meyers Way”Boeing Hill” the traffic light is still malfunctioning staying only green for commuters traveling up and down the hill.After sitting at a red light with enough cars in line to trigger the light to change for so long they then realize to merge safely on to Meyers way one car at a time.