UPDATE: 1 to hospital, building damaged in California/Frontenac crash

11:48 AM: Thanks to Jana for the photo. Another texter says three drivers are involved in that collision in south Morgan Junction, at California/Frontenac. Avoid the area.

11:53 AM: Southbound California is blocked at the scene. Thanks to Troy for this photo looking north:

12:33 PM: SB California is still blocked. At the scene, we’re told one person was taken to the hospital. The building has some structural damage. One tow truck has arrived, so the street closure won’t last too much longer.

(Added: WSB photo)

12:50 PM: Side note, this building’s been hit by a driver before – in 2008, a pickup driver went into the salon space that’s just south of where a vehicle went in today.

Eb Crawford March 13, 2022 (2:09 pm)

How flippin fast was that mustang going? Lucky no one was killed.

WSB March 13, 2022 (2:14 pm)

Took us a while to get to the scene – though this is just blocks from HQ, we were on the other side of the river for an unrelated story. By the time we arrived, the police still on scene were the ones handling traffic, and info on a suspected cause was not available.
- 25milesanhour4life March 13, 2022 (4:31 pm)
  
  I was at the scene and it was NOT fault of the Mustang. That was the car that was hit in the intersection by the white SUV. We had the green light. So the question is, how fast was the SUV going through a stop sign to hit that car so hard that it spun around and FLEW into the building. I am beyond grateful no one was killed. It was traumatic. Everyone was so kind and rushed to help.
  - Eb Crawford March 13, 2022 (7:53 pm)
    
    Thanks for the clarification. Scarry.
Cornelius T. Sourdough March 13, 2022 (4:04 pm)

Eb, based on the pictures you will need to specify which mustang. To me it looks like they both collided hard. I hope that the injured recover and the ones responsible are held accountable. WSB kudos as always.
Eva March 13, 2022 (4:50 pm)

The mustang wasn’t going fast at all. It was the range rovers fault. Sometimes don’t say things before you know the full story. A 18 year old girl could’ve died today. She bought that mustang with her own money and had it crashed into because the Range Rover didn’t stop at the stop sign. Think before you speak.
- LJ March 13, 2022 (9:04 pm)
  
  The Range Rover ran a stop sign? Where was the stop sign?
  - Eva March 14, 2022 (5:40 am)
    
    The stop sign was on Frontenac street going on California. The rover completely blew through it causing them to T-bone the mustang pushing it into the building. This caused the rover to turn around the other way having not a lot of damage but two popped tires and some side scrapes. It’s sad when people assume in situations like this but don’t know the full story.
Lisa March 13, 2022 (8:30 pm)

The young woman in the mustang was just blocks from her work, when she was t-boned by another driver who was in an SUV and ran the stop sign. She ended up in the hospital. Please consider the human impact to your neighbors here in west seattle before coming to conclusions.

Law March 13, 2022 (2:55 pm)

My daughter was hit by a Rangerover driving her Mustang and was taken to the hospital. Don’t assume she was driving fast , the Rover ran the stop sign ! She’s going home tonight it sounds like and very shaken up by the experience . As we know too many West Seattle drivers don’t drive safely or pay attention . Law

Thank you March 13, 2022 (6:07 pm)

So glad to hear that your daughter, the driver, is going home tonight. This was a very shocking event for those involved and who watched it happen. A terrible event where things could have been so much worse!. She was so badly upset and shaken, and was so brave – only thinking of calling you. I wish her speed in healing and recovery. The other driver too is in my thoughts, he was so upset and worried. A big shout out to all the people who stayed and helped, it made me so proud of our community.

Mj March 13, 2022 (5:40 pm)

I hope the Range Rover driver has insurance as required by law! Good no one got seriously hurt!

Law March 13, 2022 (6:52 pm)

Correction there is a light there . Driver went through the red light into the mustang .

Wild West March 13, 2022 (7:16 pm)

One direction is a light. The other is a stop sign. I thought that building had been hit a couple times before. Sometimes cars lose their brakes down the hill, or let loose on ice. It’s a steep hill.
- songstorm March 13, 2022 (8:55 pm)
  
  It behaves as a pedestrian crossing, not a light, and I believe the signal only changes when there is a pedestrian who has pressed the button to cross. That means traffic on California has the right of way, with traffic on either side of Frontenac having stop signs. Unfortunately, visibility is not the best there, with cars parked alongside the road (often too close to the intersection). With the limited information available, it doesn’t sound like visibility was a factor in this incident though.Very glad to hear the Mustang’s driver was sent home from the hospital tonight and hoping that she recovers well and doesn’t have any lasting effects. I agree with the poster who commented things could have been much worse, and am very thankful that was not the case.
Auntie March 13, 2022 (9:01 pm)

I believe that light is just for the pedestrian crossing going across California Ave. There are stop signs for entering California Ave from Frontenac, no light.

Slow Down! March 13, 2022 (7:37 pm)

I’m very glad the young driver of the Mustang will be okay, and the RR driver as well. But I’m not at all surprised by the high speed driving on California, as I witness it DAILY on Graham St. Particularly going westbound from California as people gun it down the hill, all the way to 48th. I was instrumental (through letters) in getting a 25 MPH sign posted just across from The Bridge (there wasn’t one there for years following construction of a new building), but it did nothing to slow the speeding. People fly down this stretch easily hitting 45-50, and one car must have hit 60+ as it sent sparks flying when it bottomed out a couple blocks down. I recently wrote another letter to the City of Seattle Police Department and warned them that unless they begin to do old-fashioned enforcement that someone will be killed. When people start returning home from work at about 4:00 on, it’s the Daytona Speedway. There are kids that live along this stretch and I am very concerned someone will get hit–just as anyone in front of the building hit by the Mustang might have been injured. At this point I don’t know what else to do. Local intel informs me they cannot/will not put in speed bumps because of firetrucks and the like–it’s an arterial. Then how did they get them on Beach Drive north of the point?Oh, and because the bridge is out, I have come to notice that (especially in the summer) people are coming to Alki the back way, using Graham St. to access Beach Drive. That may account for this increase in speeds, I can’t really know. Just my hunch as I would hope local drivers would be more considerate. I don’t know if this is yet another casualty of the misplaced “defund” actions or not, but until we have cops regularly sitting at cross streets to catch flagrant speeders, it’s only going to get worse.

Sunshine March 13, 2022 (7:57 pm)

I’ve been concerned with speeding for years but speed and aggressive driving has really increased in neighborhoods during covid. I’m glad I am not the only one asking for enforcement. So glad to hear the mustang driver will be ok.
Brian March 13, 2022 (8:10 pm)

It bears repeating: no funding was cut from SPD.
- LJ March 13, 2022 (11:42 pm)
  
  Thank You! Don’t know how this nonsense keeps getting repeated.
Steve March 13, 2022 (8:39 pm)

Thank you for all your efforts, Slow Down! I 100% agree–traffic enforcement is sorely needed.
CAM March 13, 2022 (10:29 pm)

So to clarify, your opinion is that the police are intentionally taking retaliatory actions against the citizens of Seattle by refusing to pursue people violating the law in response to (as you say) the “defund” movement. Wouldn’t that in itself justify reallocating funding from police to other social services who are actively engaged in serving the public? What’s the line…we don’t negotiate with hostage takers?
- Slow Down! March 14, 2022 (12:40 am)
  
  To CAM: My comment regarding “defunding” was aimed not at the police, but instead at the misguided city council and those who put them there in support of such ridiculous policies. We’re getting exactly the level of police protection we clearly stated we want (or thought we did) and it’s showing in armed robberies, petty and property crime and a lowered sense of community safety overall. Including traffic enforcement. Just be safe out there everyone. We’re pretty much on our own when it comes to crime deterrent over here.
Ly March 13, 2022 (11:39 pm)

Isn’t there a way to install cameras to take pics of cars that break the speed limit? There must be some way to enforce this. I too, have seen people flying through Graham. It’s so horrible.
- KM March 14, 2022 (8:56 am)
  
  There is, but it is limited by our state constitution of where they can be installed.

MJ March 13, 2022 (10:07 pm)

Sunshine – speeds and aggressive driving increased in conjunction with the SDoT’s failure to adhere to the Traffic Science. They arbitrarily lowered the speed limits on Arterials without technical justification that has reduced safety for all users of the street system.

Community Member March 14, 2022 (5:22 am)

Untrue. There is plenty of “technical justification” that 25 mph is safer than 30mph.
Jethro Marx March 14, 2022 (3:11 pm)

I once halfway-convinced my friend that we’d get better gas mileage driving south because it was downhill. I provided far more technical justification than you ever have of this bizarre, oft-repeated, and now apparently proper noun you are calling “Traffic Science.” Both claims are laughable.

Ly March 13, 2022 (11:20 pm)

My husband and son said this afternoon they saw another SUV blast through the red light at Admiral Way and California. It was crowded at the time, loads of people walking and brunching between 11 to noon today. I really hate how people speeding seem to have no regard to the rules and it’s there in the first place.Please slow down. You speeding and maiming or killing someone is not worth you being on time.

Sunshine March 14, 2022 (1:25 am)

Inattentive driving is an epidemic. I’m surprised there aren’t more reports of accidents and worse. If people don’t see it in their daily lives, search YouTube for bad drivers Seattle.

Jack March 14, 2022 (7:44 am)

I live on Frontenac just down the street from this intersection. I’m curious as to which vehicle was on Frontenac and which one was on California. Can’t tell by where the vehicles ended up. Thanks

Eva March 14, 2022 (1:09 pm)

The mustang was on the main road. The rover was on the side streets coming onto the main road but didn’t stop at the stop sign causing this all to happen. He blew right through it on Frontenac street. The mustang was just a 18 year old girl going to work a couple blocks north. She takes the same streets every day and has lived in west seattle for 14 years. She knows the speed limit and was going down the California street hill. If only that rover would’ve payed attention to a stop sign.

Kristin March 14, 2022 (10:03 am)

We are very fortunate that the 18 year old driver of the Mustang is safe and only received a concussion. She is bruised and sore but will heal, be respectful on your comments. Regardless of who is at fault two people were in an accident and one could have died. Be kind you never know It could happen to you.

wsn00b March 14, 2022 (11:16 pm)

I hope the people in the accident are all doing better, especially the Mustang driver.Tangential: That stretch of California from Myrtle to Willow is falling apart with potholes again. The section from Mills to Willow that has some underground stream has started to sink again on the southbound side. Range Rover off-road territory. The whole stretch needs to be rebuilt/repaved. Or leave the potholes for some natural speed control.

Sorry, comment time is over.