UPDATE: Flipped-car crash on Harbor Avenue

(Photo by Loren Schwartz)

8:21 PM: The big Seattle Fire response is for what SFD reports as a flipped-car crash in the 3200 block of Harbor SW. Everybody’s reported to be out of the vehicle and being evaluated/treated for injuries.

8:25 PM: Photo added (thanks!). Police are reported to have Harbor blocked off both ways in the 3200 block.

(WSB photo)

8:47 PM: Police say the driver was headed toward the bridge, hit the median, car flipped and took down the pole shown above. The driver had one passenger; no serious injuries reported.

11:39 PM: The road has reopened.

James Frank Walker August 5, 2019 (8:28 pm)

Totally understand, flipped my truck three times last week at the same location.

sw August 5, 2019 (8:49 pm)

You win the internet today, sir. Well played.
Mike August 5, 2019 (8:50 pm)

Looks like this one will buff out.
Im here August 5, 2019 (8:58 pm)

Hahaha!
Alex sustaita August 6, 2019 (9:24 am)

Id blame the city for that accident because that median realy needs the YELLOW curb paint around it to make it more visible like usual
- waikikigirl August 6, 2019 (11:17 am)
  
  All the overgrown grass and trees don’t make it visible???

Alki resident August 5, 2019 (8:53 pm)

You have no idea how badly I want to be a part of the West Seattle Elite Car Flippers

Rick August 6, 2019 (4:09 am)

As I have mentioned before, I flipped my VW Bug in the Sealth parking lot so I guess that makes me an Elite! How exciting!
- Alki resident August 6, 2019 (11:29 am)
  
  What a proud moment. Congratulations!

Quora August 5, 2019 (9:03 pm)

Unless the driver experienced a medical event, I don’t understand how you can be driving at that speed, simply turn the car into the median and flip over. Are people really not paying attention when they are driving these days? What the hell is going on?

ktrapp August 5, 2019 (11:06 pm)

Physics is a harsh mistress. Usually what happens is that a person isn’t paying attention, and they drift towards something (parked car, median, pole, etc.). They look up in time to see it, and react by cranking the wheel hard over. So now for a moment, the wheels are pointing as far over as they can, yet forward momentum still forces the car into the object they were trying to avoid, absorbing that forward momentum. Even if it’s just a glancing blow, all that’s left is that sideways momentum, with the wheels still pointed that way. Sideways momentum + likely a bit of upwards momentum on the side you hit on, and now you’re doing a roll.
- Hoku August 6, 2019 (1:34 am)
  
  Thank you for your knowledgeable and easy to visualize explanation. These car flips and rollovers have always baffled me.
- JCM August 6, 2019 (10:18 pm)
  
  I agree with the other post. Thank you for your explanation.
- ZLS August 7, 2019 (1:40 am)
  
  The driver who overturned his car landed literally inches from totaling my legally parked car. When I went out to find out what was going on, the driver, despite the trauma, seemed to be mentally altered and was given what I observed to be a sobriety test. This, imho, is not to blame on lack of signage; it was reckless driving. I hope everyone is ok. The end.

Joey August 5, 2019 (9:28 pm)

Another day. Another flip.

Rumbles August 5, 2019 (9:52 pm)

Who pays for the pole?

Anonymous August 6, 2019 (4:21 am)

As a driver who did this in my teens…… the driver will be billed (or their insurance). I was uninsured at the time. The cost of a light pole in the late 90s was $16,000.
Graciano August 6, 2019 (4:52 am)

Who pays for the pole?” we do in the long run…insurance if they had any and then it trickles down to all of us…insurance companies always want their money back!

dsa August 5, 2019 (10:09 pm)

The rear tires seem to be much wider than the fronts, just an observation.

Jim P. August 5, 2019 (10:15 pm)

Visit West Seattle: You’ll flip over our lifestyle.”Who pays for the pole?” In a rational city, they’d send a bill to the responsible driver. Seattle may well start a new city agency and fund tens of millions of dollars to help pole challenged drivers understand their right to hit poles if it suits their lifestyle.Sawant will lead a mass protest against capitalist light fixture makers who impede the people’s right to drive how they wish and demand free light fixtures for economically “challenged” people who are disproportionally affected by being expected to pay for any damage they do.

Rick August 6, 2019 (4:11 am)

And the new agency will have many 6 figure employees.

Swede. August 5, 2019 (10:24 pm)

These comments are golden! Flipping hilarious!

Mj August 5, 2019 (10:41 pm)

Jim well stated. In a fair and just world the responsible driver would be required to pay for damages, not City taxpayers.Quora too many people continue to text and drive and in many cases not successfully. This is why it’s illegal!

MacJ August 5, 2019 (10:51 pm)

I still don’t understand why people think these dockless cars are a good idea. People just dump them wherever.

Mike August 5, 2019 (11:34 pm)

The driver will be billed for pole replacement.

Kathryn August 6, 2019 (4:45 am)

Should have obscured the license plate.

waikikigirl August 6, 2019 (11:16 am)

“should have obscured license plate” Why? if he/she is going to make a public nuisance of their self then it should be public knowledge. But really how many people have the means to look up the license plate to see who it is?
- FYI August 6, 2019 (12:43 pm)
  
  Do we know the driver is actually a nuisance? I thought these types of events are called “accidents” because not many drivers actually want/intend to flip their car? Regardless, there are various free tools via the Internet to look up license plates. Whether this one deserves privacy in this type of situation is another question.
  - Kathy August 6, 2019 (2:21 pm)
    
    The trouble with using the word accident in this type of situation is that it can have the connotation that the driver is not at fault. In this case we do not know. We (the general public) may never know. If there were a medical emergency or some other outside force that caused the driver to lose control, that would truly be an accident. Otherwise, a driver is expected to pay attention, obey the law and control their vehicle at all times.

artsea August 6, 2019 (8:43 am)

If this driver does what more and more people are doing these days, he’ll blame it on the light pole being in his way and he’ll sue Seattle for $5 million.

LK August 6, 2019 (9:04 am)

Well, time to set the ‘days since’ back to zero. Lived in CA most of my life, NEVER saw a flipped car (OK, maybe once in 40+ years) Here’s it’s about an ‘every 3 weeks’ phenomenon…only in West Seattle!

Alex S. August 6, 2019 (11:12 am)

Looking at the Muni Court website, I don’t see a ticket being issued to the offending car. Maybe because they are still considering charges? Seems like in many of these accidents, the perp gets away without even a slap on the wrist.

WSB August 6, 2019 (11:22 am)

There is often at least a few days lag in citations showing up on the site, I have noticed lately, so you can’t draw any conclusions by whether anything is showing now.
Anti-Flipper August 22, 2019 (9:32 pm)

Negligent Driving 2nd Degree….only had to pay $250I’m sure the pole will be billed to us.