UPDATE: Driver, dog rescued from car-on-side crash at California/Brandon

(Photo courtesy Mark Daughhetee)

11:31 AM: A big Seattle Fire response is headed to California/Brandon [map] for a crash reported as involving two cars, one on its side. This is reported to be in the northbound lanes but avoid both ways for now.

11:37 AM: California’s now reported to be blocked both ways. Firefighters are reported to be rescuing the driver whose vehicle went sideways.

(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)

11:49 AM: Photos added. The driver is out and did not suffer major injuries – he will be taken to the hospital by AMR ambulance. A dog was rescued from the car and is also OK, we’re told.

11:59 AM: Continue avoiding the area, as cleanup will take a while. Metro has just sent an alert that the C Line (update: also Route 22) is routed off California “between Morgan and Edmunds” for now. Meantime, the crash circumstances remain under investigation but a second car is damaged and is up on the sidewalk on the northbound side.

12:48 PM: Just revisited the scene – the road’s open, SPD and SFD gone.

Swede. March 25, 2019 (11:38 am)

Indeed blocked up. Don’t use California right now if going North/South!

Heather Hanson March 25, 2019 (11:48 am)

Driver is out, with his dog, and both seem to be in good shape. Driver is smiling and dog is wagging his tail.

JBerry March 25, 2019 (12:18 pm)

No word about the other driver? I just passed by that scene but was too busy paying attention to the road. I’m so glad to hear that this driver and dog are both ok

WS Foodie March 25, 2019 (2:02 pm)

There wasn’t a second driver. The driver clipped a parked car and flipped on his side. The weird thing was, he was going very slow.

houseofpug March 25, 2019 (12:53 pm)

Just saw the 128 bus being rerouted southbound on 41st with another behind it. But then both buses turned west, toward California, on Edmunds; that seems odd as Brandon is the site of the crash and they would come out one block north of it if making their way south.

WSB March 25, 2019 (1:19 pm)

Though Metro just (1:15 pm is the timestamp) sent their “rerouting is over” alert, the scene’s been clear since at least a few minutes before our 12:48 pm update … TR

Heartless? March 25, 2019 (1:05 pm)

How do these cars end up on their sides? Seems like we’re seeing more and more accidents like this.

heyalki March 26, 2019 (9:19 am)

cars aren’t as heavy as they used to be. All plastic. Easier to bounce around.
LJJ March 26, 2019 (7:48 pm)

I was wondering the same thing!

ScienceGuy March 25, 2019 (1:19 pm)

RE: HeartlessIt’s called physics…. :-P

Wsgal March 25, 2019 (1:21 pm)

Glad to hear the people involved appear to be okay. Cars can actually flip on their side going as slow as 15mph, typically occurs from a hard sudden turn of the steering wheel.

Kh March 25, 2019 (2:33 pm)

I am not sure of the cause of this crash but highlights the need for more emphasis placed on speed control in California AVE. People travel at speeds above the speed limit which makes it nearly impossible to turn onto California safely due to cars parked in California obstructing view.

TS March 25, 2019 (5:35 pm)

Totally agree. I’ve been saying it for years as well as looping in SPD.

Brian T Carlson March 25, 2019 (3:39 pm)

Hey science guy … Why is that comment helpful?On 42nd Ave SW, 44th Ave SW, or California … many cars speed up to 40+mph. It’s a problem.

DH March 25, 2019 (4:15 pm)

I wonder when SPD will actually start patrolling for speeders? Maybe when one of these flipped cars hits and kills someone. Maybe…..

Chuck Jacobs March 25, 2019 (7:50 pm)

There’s a couple of reasons that cars flip at relatively low speeds. When your tire is turning, the front surface is moving down and the rear is moving up. When the rubber surface of the front of your tire touches the rear of another car’s tire, your car will climb up and the other car will help throw you. Modern car bodies use a lot of plastic to reduce weight and crumple to absorb impact. This allows one car’s tire to touch another with a relatively low speed impact. Last – smaller, more fuel efficient cars tend to be narrower with a shorter wheelbase to save weight. They are nearly as tall as larger cars though, because people prefer driving sitting upright to laying down. These cars will have a higher center of gravity making them flippier. Use your favorite search engine to look for “LOW SPEED CAR FLIP” and you’ll see what I mean.

Rick March 26, 2019 (4:45 am)

There’s more of that thinking instead feeling stuff. I flipped a VW Bug in the Sealth parking lot at low speed. Once again, it IS physics.
Madeleine March 27, 2019 (4:54 am)

Thanks for taking some time to explain this!

Marilyn Mears March 25, 2019 (9:44 pm)

My husband’s car was also damaged. He was parked facing south on California and in the dentist’s office. Sideswiped and front driver’s side tire flattened/bent. Glad the driver of the van and his dog appeared okay after being extracted.

Marilyn Mears March 26, 2019 (8:16 am)

Correction: His car was facing north, not south.

Brian Waid March 27, 2019 (12:37 pm)

The driver hit the Jeep SUV parked on the side of the street, just north of the little beige Toyota that got clipped first). Close to a full-on impact with the SUV, which had the its parking brake engaged. Impact bent the rear axle of the SUV and pretty much totaled that vehicle. That impact is undoubtedly what caused the car to flip onto its side. Most likely a distracted driver rather than a speed issue. Perhaps there’s a physicist out there who can explain it better.

Andy March 27, 2019 (1:53 pm)

As SDOT explained to me two years ago, the speed limit on California Ave SW is 25 MPH. Tell that to the drivers who are doing 40 MPH. I have requested radar patrols, but their staffing is very limited. Try crossing the road on foot sometimes. Most drivers don’t realize the corners are unmarked crosswalks. STOP TIMING YOUR CAR’S PROGRESS AS THE PEDESTRIAN CROSSES IN FRONT. DRIVERS ARE TO GIVE AT LEAST 5 FEET OF CLEARANCE.

JETZENIA MARTINEZ March 28, 2019 (7:54 pm)

The Driver is my Dad and I am in shock to hear this happened. We are also very blessed that he’s good.My dad Unfortunately was unconscious before the accident he probably fainted due to health issues. He meant no harm and is a responsible driver while on the road. We hope that no one else was hurt, my dad and yogi are now recovering.