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UPDATE: 4,600+ lose power in West Seattle after suspected DUI driver hits pole on Admiral Way

September 8, 2022 1:40 am
|      122 COMMENTS
 |   Utilities | West Seattle news

1:40 AM: Seattle City Light map shows 4,600+ customers out of power in West Seattle. Possibly a driver vs. pole crash in west Admiral, per emergency radio. Updates to come.

1:50 AM: The crash is at 47th/Admiral. Police have just told dispatch they’re blocking Admiral both ways. They’re summoning City Light. … “The pole’s been completely disconnected. Wires everywhere,” officers radioed.

2:20 AM: Update on the closure zone, Admiral between 46th and 48th. Too soon to know how long it’ll take to restore power – the estimate that appears on the SCL map is always little more than a guess.

2:32 AM: Officers at the crash scene just told dispatch that SCL is there.

2:46 AM: Thanks to the commenters who provided photos of the scene. The one above is from SusanLP.

3:17 AM: As noted in comments, some have had power restored.

The SCL map shows 1,600+ still out – just about a third of the original number.

7:10 AM: 325 still without power.

9:27 AM: Those 325 are still out. City Light crews continue working at the scene.

(Thanks to Charlene for the photo)

9:48 AM: Police confirm to WSB that the driver who hit the pole was booked for investigation of DUI.

10:35 AM: Intersection’s still closed, with SCL still on scene.

1:26 PM: SCL reports everyone has their power back now. We’re headed over to check whether the intersection has reopened.

2 PM: It’s open.

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122 Replies to "UPDATE: 4,600+ lose power in West Seattle after suspected DUI driver hits pole on Admiral Way"

  • Arianna G September 8, 2022 (1:45 am)

    Man that was terrifying. I was up feeding our newborn when I heard the huge boom here in North Admiral and the power blew. 

    • M September 8, 2022 (2:05 am)

      Super scary sound! Jolted us out of bed! 

      • Arianna G September 8, 2022 (2:19 am)

        It happened a block from us. I don’t know how my husband and daughter slept through it. The bright flash before the power went out lit up our whole living room. 

        • Whitney September 8, 2022 (3:31 am)

          I was up feeding our baby too and heard it! Felt like a scene from a scary movie! Could then hear shouting/crying – the young girl is so lucky nobody including herself didn’t get hurt!

  • MikeVF September 8, 2022 (1:45 am)

    Wow, that was fast reporting.  Thank you! 

  • Patrick September 8, 2022 (1:45 am)

    I heard a small explosion in N. admiral near Madison Middle

  • West Seattle Steve September 8, 2022 (1:46 am)

    Thanks! You are always on top of things in West Seattle.

  • Tobias September 8, 2022 (1:47 am)

    Highland park flickered for a bit. Heard 3 reports, figured it was transformers. Sounds more serious, hope everyone is ok. 

  • Tonie September 8, 2022 (1:47 am)

    It was a driver vs. a pole. I can see it from my house on 47th and Admiral. I hope everyone is okay.

    • WSB September 8, 2022 (1:49 am)

      Yeah, that’s the intersection they’re discussing.

    • mandy September 8, 2022 (1:54 am)

      Oh no!!! Thank you for sharing this. Hopefully everyone is ok. The eerie silence after the fact is so unreal. (And hi from your neighbor :) )

    • Arianna G September 8, 2022 (1:55 am)

      Admiral and 46th here. We just saw a semi truck backing up Admiral and police vehicles stopped in the street. I thought it sounded like a car crash right before the huge flash of light and boom. 

    • Suzan September 8, 2022 (2:03 am)

      I saw a flash of light at 1:30. Poof. Power is out. 46th and Admiral. Kind of nice to have it dark everywhere and so quiet. Not good for the fridge! 

    • Irina September 8, 2022 (2:41 am)

      Do you see any emergency vehicles? I’m right here on 47th but cannot not see or hear any emergency vehicles? It’s pretty silent and dark still at 2:38am. I can slightly hear maybe a work truck. I think it circled around. I did hear the explosion and see the flash when the power went out but what I saw was possibly transformer related.

  • Sparky September 8, 2022 (1:48 am)

    Funny, I didn’t notice any wind. Are they sending our juice to California?      /s

  • Cali&Charles September 8, 2022 (1:49 am)

    Power is back up on California & Charleston. It just flickered on and off a couple times.

    • Cali&Charles September 8, 2022 (2:04 am)

      Thinking my apartment might have a generator…

  • Not in the dark September 8, 2022 (1:49 am)

    I’m in an apartment building two blocks north of the Alaska Junction. The power went off and on twice in rapid succession. I worried about my electronics, so I turned everything off. But we still have electricity.

  • Allison September 8, 2022 (1:52 am)

    Thank you for the update!

  • May September 8, 2022 (1:53 am)

    My sister is washing her face using a book light #skincare #aintnopimples

    • skin is important September 8, 2022 (2:09 am)

      I just did my skincare routine thanks to our emergency battery bank/flashlight, haha.gnight neighbors! hopefully the power will be on when we wake!

  • Mark September 8, 2022 (1:53 am)

    On Fauntleroy Way (by Fairmont Park), lights flickered then poof. No power. First time out of power in 14 years. 

    • WSB September 8, 2022 (1:59 am)

      For the dozens of power outages we’ve covered over the years, the map for this one is a pattern I don’t recall seeing before.

      • weird September 8, 2022 (2:11 am)

        it’s very odd. we never lose power, even when others right around us do. first time for us!

      • Michael McCormick September 8, 2022 (7:05 am)

        Indeed, a very odd power distribution pattern. That said, I can attest we’re in that N/S sliver at the SW corner of Camp Long and we lost power.Hats off to SCL for keeping the juice going and to WSB for keeping us in the know.

  • Steve Holt September 8, 2022 (1:54 am)

    We’re just south of the golf course and we heard several large booms. We’re far enough from Admiral I’m certain it wasn’t that. Maybe some other things going boom with the electric load transfer?Hope everyone is okay.

  • B Yogi September 8, 2022 (1:55 am)

    I heard transformers explode down here in N. Delridge. The lights flickered but still have power. 

    • Scooterista September 8, 2022 (2:11 am)

      We heard two transformers explode, we are pretty sure, and our Nest cam at the top of the house backs up that theory. There was a very loud boom and immediate flicker, and about ten seconds later, a second boom that sounded further off and a series of flickers. We’re all the way over in High Point, by the library. What a crazy outage. 

  • Rara September 8, 2022 (1:56 am)

    Must have been a pretty hard hit. Hope everyone is ok. Sounds like the fire department has a generator on here in north admiral. Sounds like they just got dispatched.

  • TODD D Martin September 8, 2022 (1:56 am)

    Across from rite aid major power surge fire alarms in building moaned .power flickered and then blew. No fans now. Very dark in the hood. My tinnitus needs white noise. Can some one come over and yell in my ear. Some one hitting a pole does not sound good.

  • Roundthesound September 8, 2022 (1:57 am)

    After it initially went out the power came back on for a second and then set off an alarm somewhere here in the junction, then off again, then on, then off again for good. I wonder why it does that?  

    • WSB September 8, 2022 (2:19 am)

      I don’t know the mechanics of it but *every* time our power flickers, it means somebody else is out somewhere. This time was no exception. I was about to go off watch and then the lights flickered big time and I sat back down at the desk to look to see where the outage was.

      • Michael McCormick September 8, 2022 (7:13 am)

        Mechanics (?Electrics?) as follows in simple terms: when the wires on top of the pole touch the ground or each other (because pole is hit or a branch connects them) voltage is dragged way down and lights “flicker”. If the short circuit or ground does not clear itself immediately (i.e. wires “untouch”) a relay will open the circuit, wait a few seconds and then connect the circuit again to see if the circuit is clear. It will try that reconnection two or three times before giving up and leaving the circuit off until manually reset. – BSEE w/ background in power distribution.

      • Sue H September 8, 2022 (7:46 am)

        Same here – whenever I get a massive power flicker or surge I know somewhere in West Seattle lost power. I had just gotten into bed so the lights were off, but my oxygen concentrator sounded as if it was shutting off and then popped back on again. 

  • Michael September 8, 2022 (2:00 am)

    Man, hope no one was hurt. Yet hope City light restores power soon. Cause if the Salmon I just prepared for tomorrow goes bad. Ain’t no one round me gonna enjoy my company…

    • Pelicans September 8, 2022 (8:26 am)

      Friends with BBQ benefits?

  • M September 8, 2022 (2:00 am)

    We definitely heard two very loud bangs, a few seconds apart, and then the power went out. Can see the rescue lights now at 47th and Admiral

  • Jeremy B September 8, 2022 (2:00 am)

    There I was, looking for “so was that an earthquake?” (Yes, 1:08am, other side of the Sound) and the power went out.First thought: clearly these are related. Second thought: wait, they were almost half an hour apart…

    • Liz September 8, 2022 (2:25 am)

      I felt my bed moving at 1:10?  I was wondering earthquake 

    • 49thandAdmiral September 8, 2022 (2:29 am)

      Damn I’m not the only one. Holy cow I knew it, thanks for confirming, thought I felt that earthquake but then convinced myself it wasn’t only to then be startled by the crash a block away. Classic night on Admiral.

  • LivesInWS September 8, 2022 (2:02 am)

    Lights flickered, heard a boom! in the distance, then lights went out, went back on, went out, back on, out, and then back on and stayed on.  Few blocks south of Admiral and east of California here. 

  • Sekairider September 8, 2022 (2:04 am)

    Wow you are fast. CPAP machine went off, I woke up, looked up the blog, and there you were with the report, Thanks!

    • James September 8, 2022 (2:33 am)

      Yes, no CPAP machine sucks. I just laid down about 20 minutes before this. I won’t be getting any sleep until tomorrow at this time it seems.

  • Rich September 8, 2022 (2:06 am)

    Power is still out near Camp Long on 35th Ave. Heard the noise as well just before the power went out.

  • Amanda September 8, 2022 (2:11 am)

    In an apartment on California Ave and the power went on and off a few times then turned off completely. Thanks for the update as to what caused it. Seattle City light says estimated time back on at 8 but still says cause being investigated. I’m in labor and this is sure interesting. Thanks wsb.

    • WSB September 8, 2022 (2:15 am)

      Eek! Good luck with the baby. One note, which we repeat every outage … the SCL restoration times are based on absolutely nothing beyond pretty much a wild guess. So it could be a lot sooner .. or later.

    • TODD D Martin September 8, 2022 (2:15 am)

      I hope everything goes well for you.

    • 22blades September 8, 2022 (7:31 am)

      Good luck! When he or she grows up, you can tell them they arrived in a boom!

  • Ryan September 8, 2022 (2:12 am)

    It’s a mess out there. 

  • SusanLP September 8, 2022 (2:14 am)

    • WSB September 8, 2022 (2:39 am)

      Thank you.

  • Carla September 8, 2022 (2:15 am)

    lThe lights are still out on the west side of the 2100 block of California Ave.the east side of the street has lights.  The last time thelights they went out on the east side of the street and our lights stayed on…and so it goes.

  • Laura September 8, 2022 (2:15 am)

    Amazing to log in to WSB and immediately see coverage,  thank you! 

  • 47th & Lander September 8, 2022 (2:16 am)

    47th & lander. Loud boom, eerie quiet afterwards. No power. Just heard sirens. Hope everyone’s ok. 

  • Stephen Papineau September 8, 2022 (2:17 am)

    Please avoid the intersection. There are a couple lines down hanging above Admiral immediately west of the intersection at Admiral, 47th, and Waite. 

  • West Seattle Dog September 8, 2022 (2:20 am)

    Seattle police event seems to be 22000239238.The event id is indicating there are injuries and it also involves a hit and run.

  • Admiral neighbor September 8, 2022 (2:22 am)

    • WSB September 8, 2022 (2:36 am)

      Thank you. Adding above.

  • Drew September 8, 2022 (2:25 am)

    Out at 1:35 just south of Alaska Junction and remaining out. Seems like a big outage for a single car vs pole crash. I can’t recall losing the lights for more than a minute or two in almost 18 years here. 

  • Odd son September 8, 2022 (2:25 am)

    I love how so many people are awake at this time. Night owls unite! 🙌

    • B September 8, 2022 (2:57 am)

      I was just about to cook dinner! I’m 3 blocks away. If anyone was like me, about to warm food, the 7-11 and Chevron at Admiral and California have power. I’m still waiting on my oven :) but fyi 

  • Lazlo September 8, 2022 (2:33 am)

    A few of my neighbors and I went to go check it out. I think the driver is a local, not sure though. She seemed unharmed but still noticeably drunk when talking to the cops. Scary stuff she could have smashed right into the building. Luckily for her she ended up in the parking lot of the Aegis building 

  • P September 8, 2022 (2:36 am)

    I think the junction and apartments around are running on generators. 

  • Robert September 8, 2022 (2:37 am)

    4800 block of 46 ave sw.Power still out. Eerie.Thanks for reporting. First place I come to check on news in WS.

    • Robert September 8, 2022 (3:23 am)

      We’re back as of about 3 a.m..

  • David September 8, 2022 (2:52 am)

    Just walked down to the crash site. The power pole is sheared off and standing vertical in the roadway in front of Aegis. Saw no work activity other than a few cops walking around.

  • B September 8, 2022 (3:04 am)

    Fire trucks left 15 mins ago which means affected cars are clear and no fire/electric wire issues remain. So the SCL can start work. 1 earlier truck went in and 2 more just recently arrived. An Xfinity truck was turned away by the cop who said, “it’s going to be a while” to the driver. 

  • Steve Holt September 8, 2022 (3:13 am)

    Just got power back south of the golf course! 

  • Frank September 8, 2022 (3:13 am)

    In Fairmount Park, 40th between Hudson and Dawson – power just came back on at 3:11. Hallelujah, gonna put my cpap back on. 

  • Lori September 8, 2022 (3:13 am)

    Power back on at Erskine & 46th!

  • MercyMoi September 8, 2022 (3:15 am)

    Power’s back, 44th & Edmunds

  • Snake Hill September 8, 2022 (3:16 am)

    Power is back on near south end of Camp Long/golf course at least for now. Heard and saw SCL surveying the area. 

  • ttt September 8, 2022 (3:24 am)

    The power coming back on is what woke me up here in the Alaska junction. Everything is blinkin up 12:00! I had to check the blog to see what it is! 

  • dloz September 8, 2022 (3:57 am)

    Power is back (we’re down the hill from Aegis).

  • Marcus September 8, 2022 (6:17 am)

    I felt the earth move!That my friends is a car-pole and the electrical grid is designed to detect the fault-open and clear the fault, and then automatically close to test.  If it holds then the fault is temporary and if it opens again it is a permanent fault and stays open.  This is called automatic reclosing  and most electrical grids have operated this way for at least 50 years.I do not see the car so maybe it was able to drive off, at least $10,000 easily if they can identify the driver.  Difficult corner but that is why we have speed limits.  

  • ehw September 8, 2022 (6:17 am)

    Not sure if it’s related but my comcast service dropped at around 5:30am near the Admiral apartments on California/Walker. Outage map says service is expected to be restored in an hour but gives no details. 

  • AM September 8, 2022 (6:18 am)

    Still out on Palm Ave. near Hamilton Viewpoint. 

  • Azure September 8, 2022 (6:27 am)

    Hope it comes back on soon… just stocked up my fridge with so much meal preps and groceries last night and i might just have to toss it all. Totally my luck with my first week of living in a new place.

    • Jason September 8, 2022 (8:25 pm)

      Kiana is that you?? 😯

  • LocalPotato September 8, 2022 (6:27 am)

    44th near admiral – still out

  • TTT September 8, 2022 (6:28 am)

    Powers still out on 49th. 

  • Admyrl Byrd September 8, 2022 (6:44 am)

    Power still out 44th/Massachusetts.  Would appreciate details when you get re the accident itself and any charges.  That had to be a massive speeding issue.

  • Rara September 8, 2022 (6:47 am)

    Power just came back on in Admiral by the fire station 

  • SJ September 8, 2022 (6:48 am)

    Power is back on 46th/Admiral. On for a few minutes and holding steady :-)

  • Gina September 8, 2022 (6:49 am)

    Power back on 45th near Lander.

  • mandy September 8, 2022 (6:50 am)

    Back on on 47th north of Admiral! 🙌 thank you night owl neighbors and SCL! (And probably Seattle PD!) 

  • PM September 8, 2022 (6:50 am)

    Comcast seems to be back as of 6:45 am on California & Admiral

  • 47th and Admiral September 8, 2022 (6:53 am)

    Half a block from the crash site and we appear to be back on. As far as I can tell, Xfinity is also up and running

  • Mel September 8, 2022 (7:02 am)

    The semi was stocking Mudd bay And saw the driver speed through the light at California an d admiral and then he saw the flash and heard the bang so came down the street to see what was going on. The driver was wasted. She plowed through the telephone pole and then flew over the sidewalk through the gate of age is an into the parking lot. She is llucky to be alive. It was a scary situation I’m glad everyone’s OK we r off Waite still no power

  • Kristen September 8, 2022 (7:03 am)

    Power back on in north admiral by Park West. Thank you to the people who worked overnight to fix it!! 

  • Alki Mail & Dispatch September 8, 2022 (7:29 am)

    Bree from Alki Mail & Dispatch here! We are still without power so we will be closed until they can get us back up and running. 

  • 22blades September 8, 2022 (7:44 am)

    That bend has a bad sight line of the center even when you’re sober, day time & not speeding. If I were Aegis, I’d put a few (concrete) econo-blocks behind that sign.

  • Lola September 8, 2022 (7:52 am)

    My son is the Electrician on the 1st ave bridge.  He had to go in at 2 am this morning because of this accident at it effected the bridge.  

  • Me mama September 8, 2022 (7:56 am)

    Not that there was ever is a justification for drunk driving, but seriously, this day and age, with Uber/Lyft and bus service… even ebikes and scooters (not that it’s legal to drive those impaired either) no one should be driving drunk.  Penalties need to be sky high for drunk drivers.  

    • WSlite September 8, 2022 (8:21 am)

      Agree with you. And send the driver bill for replacing pole and man/woman labor hours it took everyone to include fixing the pole and electricity, a having the police and fire on scene. Ridiculous how many times we here of drunk drivers out there and all the damage caused. Be responsible people, it’s really not that hard to be responsible. 

    • TTT September 8, 2022 (8:40 am)

      Completely agree. I’m glad she’s okay, but this is ridiculous. 

  • sally September 8, 2022 (8:07 am)

    Was there a power outage/ surge in the N Delridge area also?  Seems like it may have impacted our server here at work, not sure.

  • J September 8, 2022 (8:17 am)

    BIG HUGE shout out to the City Light workers who worked through the night to fix this for us all!  I’m up in North Admiral and our power came back about 6:45 this morning – just in time for a new day to start! THANK YOU!!!!

  • Ben September 8, 2022 (8:17 am)

    Anyone heard when the last 325 will have power back up? I unfortunately live a block away from the pole that was hit.

  • Al in WS September 8, 2022 (8:34 am)

    Still no power back in streets directly behind Aegis. Rough night between kids and dog freaked out, hoping we also don’t lose everything in fridge!Huge thank you to WS Blog and neighbors for keeping all the updates coming all evening. Such a scary situation.

  • SCL employee September 8, 2022 (8:54 am)

    To address the power off, then on-again, off-again, on-again, then off for good issue……Every breaker at every substation is equipped with protection relays, which sense fault current anywhere on the feeder. The car hits the pole and high voltage lines are on the ground. The fault current goes to ground, and the circuit shorts out. The breaker at the station opens, and the entire feeder is out of power. Four seconds later, a recloser relay will reclose the breaker, to see if the cause of the fault was transient, i.e. a squirrel, a crow or a branch. If the cause of the fault is still present, i.e. an entire tree or lines on the ground, the breaker will trip again. Then fifteen seconds later, the breaker will close one  more time to see if the cause of the fault is gone. If the cause is still present, the breaker will lock out and remain tripped open.  Regardless, whenever a breaker cycles, SCL personnel will be dispatched to the substation to assess the situation.-SCL substation employee

    • Marie 47 September 8, 2022 (9:42 am)

      Thank you. 

    • 22blades September 8, 2022 (1:56 pm)

      Thanks for your work!👍

  • Marie 47 September 8, 2022 (8:59 am)

    We have had several fatalities (that I’m aware of) on Admiral between 49th and Schmitz Park Bridge. The 49th Ave pole crash ended in a much longer outage. Hope the girl is OK. Thankyou City Light. 

    • Mike September 8, 2022 (9:18 am)

      Thanks to the SCL employee for a clear explanation.  

  • Rick September 8, 2022 (9:12 am)

    My shop is just south of the Junction and when I came in my wall clock (corded) showed about an an hour and forty five minutes early. Thinking I might be sleepwalking I checked my watch showing the correct time. Hate getting to work THAT early! Could have been sleeping.

  • Nicole September 8, 2022 (10:08 am)

    We are just on the south end of Camp Long, were up packing for a trip today, lights flickered then “BOOM”.  More flickers then even bigger “BOOM”… I thought transformer but I also thought it was much closer… like up on 35th just behind us.  I can’t imagine how loud it was in Admiral!  Thought about checking the blog but it was so late.  Kinda forgot about it until now so logged on – thanks WSB for always keeping us in the know!  

    • Arianna G September 8, 2022 (10:44 am)

      I thought a plane was crashing into our house 😅 It sounded like a bomb went off in our yard. 

  • Audifans September 8, 2022 (10:26 am)

    well I guess the DUI woman gets to cool her heels in jail. Better than if she had kept driving

    • Lisab September 8, 2022 (3:05 pm)

      So glad she didn’t take a life. No exuse  selfish and criminal behavior. 

  • mel September 8, 2022 (10:50 am)

    our neighborhood is prone to extended outages once we loose the juice! what are you thinking, hours or days? thanks for all you do, appreciate u.

  • DaveB September 8, 2022 (12:02 pm)

    I’m in the area behind Aegis. Still no power. 

  • Cam September 8, 2022 (12:19 pm)

    Live @ 4270ca.  Did not hear the “booms” but was awakened by my swamp cooler shutting off and beeping.  The electricity came back on immediately.

  • B September 8, 2022 (12:24 pm)

    Always been kind of a dangerous road (DUI or not)….My mom used to work @ Modern Care right there and my family and I were crossing the street to go visit her. Car came swoooooping down way too fast and almost hit us. Luckily my dad picked his little kids up and tossed them on to the sidewalk haha! But I remember it being like that all the time. 

  • Del September 8, 2022 (12:26 pm)

    The lights flickered and buzzed at 1:36am and again at 1:39am at my home near highpoint. I thought something had happened but didn’t hear anything else. Surprised it had that much impact all the way down here. 

  • n September 8, 2022 (1:42 pm)

    The outage map says power has been restored to the last 325. Can someone confirm power is back on Grayson street before I move my work from home office for the 3rd time today? Thanks!

    • LChoice September 8, 2022 (2:37 pm)

      Yes, power is back on — at least a couple streets over on Olga…

  • Jay September 8, 2022 (3:37 pm)

    Washington’s constitution legalizes biking under the influence, and you can’t do much damage on a bike. There is also Lyft, Uber, and taxis. Buses. Walking. Scooters. Longboards. Even a horse would be cheaper than a DUI. Folks need to stop getting drunk and playing bumper cars with their multi-ton vehicles. When I go out and know I’m going to have some drinks, I ride a folding bike and bring it in the bar along with a helmet and the proper lights.

    • AW September 9, 2022 (9:36 am)

      @Jay 100% agree with you. If I have a few drinks I’m usually on my bike. If more then a few, public transportation. I do wish that Seattle had an affordable bike share system (the private lime/etc is way too much $$$ for longer trips), maybe it would be easier to get people drink/smoke and drive less.

Sorry, comment time is over.