46 Replies to "WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: Another stolen and crashed car. You can guess the make."

• neighbor August 30, 2023 (10:45 pm)

  I saw those two cars drive south on 34th Ave. SW burning rubber, making noise, and it seemed like they might have been doing around 100 mph. If someone had been crossing one of the streets they passed it would have been a disaster.

• Concerned mom August 30, 2023 (11:00 pm)

  This car was also seen at the playfield on 30th ave Sw and Sw Thistle around 5:00.  The car entered the grass field while children were getting ready for football practice. The car preceded to do donuts on the field then turned towards the children and then left the field over the sidewalk onto Sw Thistle. Then entered the Nino Cantù southwest athletic field parking lot where it continued to do donuts-then speed off. About 20 min later it returned to 30th ave Sw going south doing about 50 down the street. Cops were called but showed up at Sw athletic field about 2 hours later. 

  • sam-c August 31, 2023 (9:22 am)

    All I can say to this is WTF ?? And SPD show up 2 hours later? Thank goodness no-one was injured or killed.

    • B Dawg August 31, 2023 (7:40 pm)

      I often see cars doing donuts and driving recklessly in the Nino Cantu parking lot. SPD should be paying attention (understand the officer shortage issue)

  • Neighbor August 31, 2023 (1:13 pm)

    Yes, this area has a problem with teens doing donuts in that parking lot and speeding on nearby residential streets. A few cars have been lit on fire there which led to a renewed call to verify that the gates were locked at night. A few weeks ago, one of them finally totaled a car when they smashed into a truck at the corner of 31st Ave SW and SW Cloverdale, just west of the SW Athletic field. Seven teens, 5 female and 2 male, ran away from the accident. Fortunately the person hit was driving a large truck and seemed uninjured. A few people tried to detain the four slower teenagers but they were unperturbed and just walked away. Video was handed over to the police when they arrived. There are a lot of kids on bikes riding down small hills, youth walking and families biking with small children in this area. I was very thankful no pedestrians were injured in that crash.

    • Almost hit August 31, 2023 (9:38 pm)

      I was almost hit head on, on my way home west up Thistle in between the school and the field back in June. Two cars were racing down the hill East and were in my lane passing a non racing driver. Lots of activity at the time with athletics, neighbors on walks with children and a group of kids on the sidewalk filming the cars. I didn’t get the impression the kids filming were encouraging it at all. In fact I had stopped in front of them just shocked at what had almost happened and a kid asked if I was hit and then he panicked and said to move they were coming back. I had to gun it and turned into the school parking lot. I know a girl there knew who they were. The racing cars pulled into the lot and got out and cheered. I’ve never seen cars go that fast on a road besides a freeway. It would have been a fatality for sure and I fear there could be one or one of those cars goes into a home or classroom. I just had to get out of there and drove a few blocks away and parked. I didn’t know which way to continue home for fear of them racing again. I was very shaken up. I did let the school know and they got back to me and were concerned. I just didn’t have an id for them and didn’t know if the people involved were even students. I see there are new speed bumps there now. I would like to know how much of a priority this is for our police. Is it just a West Seattle or an area in West Seattle? A hot wired car was dumped in front of our house last week. Are they stealing, racing and then dumping? 

      • WSB September 1, 2023 (12:34 pm)

        In short, yes, and much of it is streamed on social media, which is why the “filming” was notable.

  • Al September 1, 2023 (11:02 am)

    That lot needs to be closed off at night.

    • WSB September 1, 2023 (12:01 pm)

      As we reported earlier this summer, it’s supposed to be, and the school district needs to know if it’s not.
      https://westseattleblog.com/2023/07/followup-gate-status-at-nino-cantu-southwest-athletic-complex/

• Rhonda August 30, 2023 (11:19 pm)

  I watched the tow truck hook this vehicle up on my evening run right before the rain started. This is one of the worst areas to speed that fast. The new speed humps on 34th, 104th, 32nd, and other Arbor Heights streets didn’t slow these miscreants down a bit.

• Alki Jack August 30, 2023 (11:24 pm)

  The problem is they can burn rubber, spin donuts, have super loud exhaust, loud blaring music. etc AND there is almost zero consequences. There are no police pulling cars over for speeding, loud exhaust, trick driving, burning rubber…NOTHING. Think…when was the last time you saw a car pulled over and the driver getting a ticket? Probably several years.  

  • Brian August 31, 2023 (8:56 am)

    Dude this is a stolen vehicle. You need to actually catch the person responsible if you want to see consequences doled out. 

  • flimflam August 31, 2023 (11:17 am)

    There is simply not enough police staffed to proactively deal with just about any crime let alone traffic violations.

• 35 Ave SW August 31, 2023 (1:03 am)

  Extend speed bumps down Marine View round to 35 Ave SW to 106th.   Idiots race this stretch at dangerous speeds daily. 

  • Rick August 31, 2023 (12:16 pm)

    I’m at 35th and Ocean View Drive(112th) and that straightaway is a race track. Bumps,bumps,bumps and maybe a few gates and ecology blocks. Kidding about that last part.

• Niko August 31, 2023 (3:55 am)

  And this is where the city council’s responsive speed cameras shows that It has NOTHING to do with stopping racing and just creating revenue. The cars that are racing and driving erratically are stolen or have the plates removed if not both

• Dangerous driving (and crash) at the Westside School August 31, 2023 (5:18 am)

  I live near the Westside School and have seen (and heard) way too much of this kind of thing (street racing, speeding, dangerous driving, I don’t know exactly what to call it) lately. The fact that they actually crashed into the Westside school sign – during the day when there might have been kids in school (if it were September rather than August) – is terrifying. 

• wslady August 31, 2023 (7:02 am)

  Remember the tv show “Bait Car”? Wish they’d come back and do some episodes with Kias around here. 

• LaLaLa August 31, 2023 (7:21 am)

  Yeeha!!! Good times in West Seattle. So the police can’t do much and the thieves know it. If your going to park your car outside put a bike lock on the wheel or something. Make it hard for thieves to steal. Thieves are stupid and they won’t waist time trying to steal something. You make it hard on the theif, they will have to go somewhere else. 

• Another Neighbor August 31, 2023 (7:57 am)

  I also saw those cars racing down 34th, the white car burning rubber the whole way and trying to make the tires squeal, drifting dangerously.  It’s a miracle they didn’t hit any cars parked along the street or children out playing.  The black car following had a juvenile male with his whole upper body hanging out the passenger side window filming on his phone.  Initially it looked like he was holding a gun and thus that they were chasing the white car; I thought for a moment I was going to get caught up in crossfire until I realized it was a phone.

• Torso_McTeague August 31, 2023 (8:51 am)

  As a 2010 Soul owner whose stolen vehicle was featured here (thanks for all you do WSB!), here’s information on the class action lawsuit.  No action required by the owners; they’re using reported stolen VINs to contact affected parties.  It sounds like a settlement was reached but they’re not expect final court approval until mid-2024.  https://www.hbsslaw.com/press/hyundai-kia-car-theft-defect/hyundai-kia-theft-class-action-lawsuit-reaches-settlement-valued-at-more-than-200-millionThat being said, I hope there’s a separate lawsuit put forth for the damages incurred via the joyriding and dumping of cars; not sure what all would be involved or who (municipalities, etc?) would file but it’s not just the owners impacted.

  • Bill August 31, 2023 (9:41 am)

    That’s about right! — It is the car’s fault!

    • Swellguy August 31, 2023 (10:06 am)

      @Bill – Nailed it.

    • Torso_McTeague August 31, 2023 (10:22 am)

      Not sure if you’re being facetious or supportive, but my point was that the manufacturers have known about the issues and have not done enough, in a timely-enough fashion, to fix it.  No, it’s not their fault the Tik Tok thing happened, and the thieves who are caught should be punished, but the reason we keep hearing about Hyundai and Kia is because other auto manufacturers have been including immobilizers as SOP for years.   Once the thefts kicked off and the vulnerability identified, K/H owners had months of waiting for the fixes (which included a software update that didn’t end up being much of a deterrent) because dealerships were overwhelmed and the manufacturer couldn’t get enough replacement parts out.  Granted, I don’t have a perfect alternative; maybe a “mobile strike team” that went around installing the immobilizers house by house, maybe a massive vehicle recall with the manufacturer paying current value to the owners, or replacement with newer vehicles that have the security improvements already.   Something that showed a rallying and extraordinary effort to try and address the issue.  The people and structures that have been collateral damage in accidents
      caused by these thieves need to have some recourse, imo. 

• JoDean August 31, 2023 (9:16 am)

  Around 7:00 this same car deliberately ran into and knocked over the metal school zone sign in front of our house on 34th near 106th.  The neighbors bagged up all the car parts left behind and placed the bag on the pole.  The person in the second car was filming the white car as it crashed into the sign.  Numerous calls were made to 911.  

• Pdavis August 31, 2023 (9:42 am)

  Clearly, many people are extremely frustrated at the lack of legal consequences for many many crimes.  We need to get extremely serious, who we are voting in to office:  City Counsel, prosecuting attorney , and especially the JUDGES….We also need leadership that will produce changes in the laws that have some heavy consequences for these juvenile gang members and thug losers that we are having to contend with..  obviously we need to change the laws related to minors so they have absolute consequences for their behavior.  The reality is there are juveniles murdering people and causing deep problems in this country. … a long time ago juveniles were less messed up…. so our laws need to change to fit the current state of crime.  The change in the culture and country … AGE  is not the issue. ,… the crime, and the impact on others needs to be taken very seriously and not neutralized due to  age.  Murder is murder. The problem is no consequences so let’s get laws in place that are serious and a deterrent.  It’s all about who you vote for on state and federal levels.  We have a right to be safe.

  • Ts September 2, 2023 (6:56 pm)

    I don’t agree with a lot  of laws passed in Texas over the last year or two but how about one like the one just passed, those that kill a parent/guardian while drunk driving or racing pay child support until the victims children are 18, starting one year after release from jail/prison

• valvashon August 31, 2023 (10:13 am)

  I think it’s past time to declare certain models of Hyundai and Kia models a public health emergency and keep them parked up until the owner can prove that they have a no-start immobilizer installed.  It’s a known issue and if you are injured or killed by a stolen easy-start Hyundai or Kia you or your family could easily make a case for going after the corporation.  Are the people who steal the car responsible?  Yes, but so is Hyundai for making their cars so easy to pinch.

  • Rhonda August 31, 2023 (11:47 am)

    Blame/shame the victims? This could have been your car, too, no matter what the brand. It also could’ve been your house they slammed into instead of the school sign. This is the fault of the thieves and the lawmakers who embolden them.

    • Jay September 1, 2023 (10:02 pm)

      No matter the brand? My old Subaru has an immobilizer. So does my wife’s Corolla. This is a Hyundai/Kia issue.

• TJ August 31, 2023 (11:30 am)

  I’ve had enough of this, and can only imagine that Hyundai and Kia owners feel that way even more so. Where are the consequences for these car thieves and street racers? Not only are they stealing and destroying people’s vehicles, but they are also endangering the entire community and causing land and property damage. It doesn’t seem that this issue is being taken seriously. A few months ago, I reported an abandoned stolen car and had descriptions of the people who left it there, and the police never called me back to get the descriptions. I understand SPD has staffing constraints but if nothing is done, I fear that someone will be injured or killed by these reckless criminals. It’s unfortunate that a lot of them seem to be teenagers, and they need swift intervention to get them on a better track in their lives.

• Options August 31, 2023 (11:46 am)

  Can victims sue car thieves for personal damage and the like?  

  • Christopher B. August 31, 2023 (12:17 pm)

    OPTIONS: Victims could sue. The real question is whether spending $30,000 in legal fees, and spending years of your life trying to made made whole in the land of lenient judges makes sense, especially given that you’ll likely not be able to collect a judgment from someone without any assets. 

• lucy August 31, 2023 (12:30 pm)

  How about mandatory impounding of a car until the fines are paid.  If the car is stolen, the thief spends a couple days in jail until they are charged with theft, wreckless endangerment and disturbing the peace.  No bail for repeat offenders.  And if the jails are too crowded, be thankful this isn’t Nicaragua where they have the gangsters chained together and sleeping 40 to a cell.  Criminals should not have more rights than law abiding citizens.

  • Jeff August 31, 2023 (1:20 pm)

    No. We are not going to be inhumane over hunks of metal. The jails should be for violent offenders.

    • B Dawg August 31, 2023 (7:52 pm)

      So you don’t think this is violence? Given the undisputable threat it poses to life and property? You might feel differently when, inevitably, a person is maimed or killed. 

  • Anywhere but here August 31, 2023 (7:27 pm)

    Why would you want to impound a stolen car? People usually need their cars. It seems like your suggesting the owner has their car impounded and then should be expected to pay fines? After it was stolen from them? What a ridiculous suggestion.  Definitely punishing the wrong party. 

  • Rhonda September 1, 2023 (6:26 pm)

    How about returning the stolen vehicles to their owners immediately instead of impounding them?

• Andros August 31, 2023 (1:36 pm)

  The solution here is make sure the police are funded and trained properly, and hire more police. Again, turn on a police scanner app and listen to Seattle Police and Fire dispatch at any hour of the day. I’ve been listening on my phone to get a sense of what’s happening. At 11:00pm a few nights agoall within a matter of 10 minutes :1 person was shot 3 times and taken to Harborview. Police captured the shooter going thru a McDonalds drive thru. 1 person was ODing on fentanyl 1 person was on the roof of a building going to jump1 home was on fire due to an electrical fire1 person was also suspected to ODing1 naked man walking down 2nd and Pine. All within a matter of 10 minutes.   We simply don’t have the resources to keep people safe and enforce the laws anymore, so it’s become the Wild West. 

• valvashon August 31, 2023 (1:44 pm)

  No, Rhonda, it could not have been my car too.  You don’t see reports of MINIs taken for a reckless driving joyride several times a week on this hyper-local blog because they have an immobilizer in the key.  No key, no start no matter how much you twist the ignition with a screwdriver or try to hotwire it.  This technology has been in use in BMW/MINI/Land Rover vehicles since at least 1998 and maybe earlier.  There is no excuse aside from cost cutting and the desire for higher profit margins for Hyundai/Kia not to have put such a system in their 2011 and later, “easy to steal with a USB plug” models.  I have little doubt that such as system was not available to them in 2011 and they just chose not to build it in.

  • Anywhere but here August 31, 2023 (7:19 pm)

    Yes but your original comment was to expect the owners of the cars not to drive them until they can solve the problem. You said owners.  Declaring Hyundais and Kias a public health emergency? So you expect people to do what? Magically buy a new car with thoughts and prayers? I agree Hyundai and Kia should be held responsible for the defect, but that is definitely NOT what you said in your first couple sentences. 

• Roxy August 31, 2023 (4:36 pm)

  I’m hoping these teenage joyrides lessen when school goes back in session.  I’m thinking it’s partly summer boredom / unsupervised kids wanting social media likes causing the problem.  I think if schools usually do beginning of the year No Drinking, Drugs or Bullying assemblies, they should add a Don’t Be A Social Media Idiot and Steal Cars section.  When I was in high school back east years ago, there was a problem with kids drinking & driving so the school brought in a police group that specialized in school programs to re-create a real accident scene in the parking lot – a real smashed car that was hit by a drunk driver, bloody “victims” laying on the ground, blow up photos of real, fairly graphic accident scenes around them .  I can still see it these years later.   Maybe experiencing the risks in person would remind anyone with a conscience what’s at stake.

• Seth August 31, 2023 (8:14 pm)

  @WSB,Do you have a police report #?  I have dashcam footage of this car earlier when it was tearing up at Riverview playfield while kids were practicing soccer.

  • WSB August 31, 2023 (8:59 pm)

    The most likely one looks like 23-251095.

    • Seth August 31, 2023 (9:19 pm)

      thanks!

• C September 3, 2023 (1:30 pm)

  Earlier this week my wife and I saw this car in Highland Park aggressively/closely following a kid on a bike and honking, revving the engine. We were worried it would hit and run. Whoever stole it was out doing dangerous shenanigans for a long while before they ditched it.

Sorry, comment time is over.