FOLLOWUP: Hit-run victim’s family hopes you can help find driver

We reported last Sunday on a hit-run crash at California/Hanford that sent a bicycle rider to the hospital. Today, the rider’s family is circulating video they hope will bring in a tip leading to the driver’s arrest:

As shown at the end of the video, the “best guess” is that it’s a Toyota van, 1998-2003, with running boards and a white separator between the front and rear passenger-side windows. Meantime, we asked the family how the rider, Sean, is doing: “He was literally run over so we are very lucky that doctors found no organ damage, but he will need several surgeries. He just successfully underwent the first surgery on Monday. We are just happy he is alive. We just want to ensure this doesn’t happen to anyone else.” If you have any information, contact police and refer to case 20-342638.

Ken December 17, 2020 (12:03 pm)

Perhaps ask this kid in Woodinville to take a look at the video? He could probably precisely ID the van.Very unfortunate about Sean.

ACG December 17, 2020 (8:07 pm)

Ken- Thanks for posting that link. What an interesting story and an amazing kid!! And, on the note of this story, I hope they can catch the driver of the van. My thoughts are with the cyclist. I hope the surgeries are successful and that he can recover fully.

WS Commenter December 17, 2020 (12:40 pm)

That looks to definitely be a 2000 Sienna: https://www.carfax.com/vehicle/4T3ZF13C9YU223744

walnut ave December 17, 2020 (2:20 pm)

the 1998 through 2003’s all share that body style. That molding around the bottom is very distinctive.
AJP December 17, 2020 (3:02 pm)

Definitely an 98-03 model Sienna, white with I believe a tan contrast on the bottom and running boards. This is not a super common trim style, running boards especially are not that common, so hopefully it’s easy to find. I would also guess the XLE model. I used to have an 02 Sienna myself and replaced some of the parts, so I’m familiar with looking up stuff about them on Sienna chat boards. This is what I think it looks like: http://importarchive.com/colors/toyotasienna/toyota_sienna_98_040_05.jpg

hanford neighboor December 17, 2020 (12:49 pm)

Do the SDOT traffic cameras record and save any video, or do they just provide a live stream? Asking because there is camera at this intersection looking south

WSB December 17, 2020 (12:53 pm)

The city has long said those cameras do not record.
- Ronald Thompson December 19, 2020 (10:31 am)
  
  Great, so DOT can capture and record this https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sJeE_K4Avicbut not the person who hurts an innocent.NICE.
  - WSB December 19, 2020 (11:11 am)
    
    Even if that is really a WSDOT camera clip, that is WSDOT (state) at Snoqualmie Pass, not SDOT (city), which has cameras here.

Neighbor December 17, 2020 (3:10 pm)

Does anyone know what exactly time this was? I can check my camera

WSB December 17, 2020 (3:30 pm)

The time is on the video’s opening slate.
Susan December 17, 2020 (4:14 pm)

4:05 p.m. from what was stated in an earlier post.

Mj December 17, 2020 (5:21 pm)

It would be really nice to see the perp caught and held accountable. The perp needs to pay all medical costs and wages at a bare minimum.

Lu December 18, 2020 (9:24 am)

I think the perp being held accountable means much more than paying back wages. He hit the rider and knocked him off his bike, then decided to run him over while he was fleeing the scene. That’s jail time. And hopefully a lot of jail time.

Any other video? December 17, 2020 (8:09 pm)

I have a friend who is very good at tracking down vehicles. Are there any other videos of this van?

ScubaFrog December 17, 2020 (9:02 pm)

There was a road rage shooting with a white van that fled. I know, probably a coincidence, but it may be worth asking them if this fits the description with such a brazen act as fleeing? I’m so glad the bicyclist is ok.

Mj December 18, 2020 (9:56 am)

Lu – I absolutely agree!

Maurice December 19, 2020 (12:25 pm)

Can anyone share the contact information for the officer assigned to the case? I know SW precinct is closed, downtown precinct is closed… The general phone lines give options for car theft, finger printing and 100 other items but not to speak with anyone…

Maurice December 20, 2020 (8:03 pm)

Decided to mail in the possible material I have involving the case to the the Seattle police main headquarters. I will reference the case number, hopefully it gets to the right place? I tried talking to a police officer yesterday who wouldn’t take my information. He assured me that the south precinct was open to the public even though I told him there was a sign on the door that read “closed to the public” -he didn’t believe me. I had been there 20 minutes prior.

WSB December 20, 2020 (8:43 pm)

That’s odd; all the precinct lobbies have been closed to the public for months because of the pandemic (we were reminded of that last Thursday while covering the case in which the suspected road-rage shooting victims drove to the precinct, and it’s also affected us recurringly because in pre-pandemic times, if we absolutely ran out of other ways to find out about an incident, we’d go see if the desk officer could tell us) … TR

Kathy December 31, 2020 (10:23 am)

So there are no bike lanes on California Ave SW, the main arterial connecting a majority of the businesses in the area. In order to preserve room on California for motor vehicles and motor vehicle storage, people getting to those businesses by bicycle are expected to be shunted off to the side streets, which have yet to be converted to greenways despite years of planning and requests. Do you think we could sacrifice some car parking, at least on one side of the street, to provide space for bikes and cars to safely coexist on one of our main and busiest arterials?

Sorry, comment time is over.