(Added: WSB photo)
8:47 AM: Thanks for the texts. A crash response on SW Admiral Way at Stevens has all lanes blocked right now, according to SDOT. We’re on our way to find out more.
9:08 AM: Our crew is there. One lane is open. Police tell us a passenger was taken to Harborview but the driver took off running after crashing the vehicle. As our photo shows, the tow truck has arrived, but SDOT is being called to clean up a fuel spill.
The driver was coming up Admiral and hit the pole at the curve by the park entrance. He then went up on the bridge sidewalk and skid along the beautiful art deco barrier. I’m grateful no one was walking on the bridge at the time…I pass by there every morning with my dog. Driver fled. Passenger was sitting on the curb getting treated. Car clearly rolled a few times.
Thanks. If it rolled, it ended up right-side up because there was no heavy-rescue callout, as a flipped vehicle invariably leads to … this was a relatively unremarkable-looking call on the 911 log so we didn’t go until we started getting texts (thanks again!) – TR
At 10AM, I left my house on 53rd, a block from the accident, and a disheveled, disoriented man was sitting in a neighbor’s yard. I called 911 and coming home now he is along Admiral being attended to by fireman and police. Total speculation but I wondered if he was the driver.
Drivers coming up Admiral too fast. A few years ago a lady crashed an SUV between the Pole and outside railings (said a spider disturbed her).
I almost got run over crossing the street MANY TIMES at the park entrance because of cars coming up Admiral around curve at excessive speed. I only start crossing before any are in sight.
I requested a painted crosswalk for years from SDOT, to no avail.
Pedestrians should not be crossing at curves. Cars can’t see around curves. Not a good place for a crosswalk either, because curves.
I saw this guy speeding by while waiting for the 50 on Admiral this morning. He came tearing through 60th, completely ignoring the stop sign and swerving up Admiral. A few minutes later we saw what happened. I hope they catch this moron.
And such a man of honor: To cause an accident that injured his passenger but his first thought is to run off and desert him or her.
All of West Seattle seems to be open season for speeding and drag racing with no fear of police consequences.
I’ve long been frustrated by crash debris just left at the scene as if it’s no ones responsibility. I can’t tell you many times I’ve seen glass and broken car parts of varying size just left where there lay. When in Rome I guess.
SDOT was called out. Maybe they missed a spot. I hope someone has called them again – frankly, if it’s in the road, whichever lane, or even on a sidewalk, call 911.
Fleeing the scene is such a genius move. Golly gee, those cops’ll never be able to figure out who was driving – especially when leaving a passenger behind. How high can you be at 8 am?
Uh, never mind…
I agree in theory but here are some other posibilities: Car could be/probably is stolen (very common in Seattle so a check if the registration would show owner not necesarily driver’s identity). The driver was dazed from his /her driving skills and fled. Passenger may refuse to tell police who driver was (plead the 5th). Cops can ask you questions but you do not have to answer them.
If the driver was in fact sitting down dazed a short distance away maybe you could all give him the benefit of the doubt as to shock etc and not just assume he’s a scumbag for “fleeing the scene”.
God forbid someone judge you immediately after a traumatic accident…
I was going to say the same thing…Head injuries can make a person disoriented and could be a reason they ran away. It’s an instinctual response.
We can’t know for sure.
It might be instinctual if the driver was clearly driving in a wildly unsafe manner – so go ahead and give the guy/(girl?) a break i guess. Maybe they’re still responsible for their behavior though – the behavior that led to a serious accident that injured a passenger in their car. I really don’t care why they ran – the behavior and reckless driving prior to the accident is enough to say that they probably shouldn’t be driving at all and putting passengers and the general public at risk of serious injury or death. That we CAN know for sure.
I hope the injured person is ok.
Is it just me, but it appears more incidents have occurred on Admiral Way subsequent to the City’s restriping?
I think the restriping AND the signal at 47th contribute to the increased speeds. I ride the 56 and get off at 57th and am constantly amazed at both uphill and downhill volumes and speeds. I’ve seen quite a few speeders going way over the posted limit, and riding the bumper of the cars in front of them. The signal releases a pack of cars all wanting to get home and driving downhill. Because of the pack it is hard to cross the street because I was hit by a car once downtown and while there might be an unmarked cross walk there, it is on a blind curve. So I wait and run if I have too (in so much as I can run nowadays).
Sorry, comment time is over.
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