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UPDATE: Burien carjacking suspects tracked to West Seattle; stolen vehicle then involved in fiery crash

December 29, 2023 6:22 pm
|      21 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | Helicopter | West Seattle news

6:22 PM: According to radio exchanges between dispatch and police, Guardian One is over the Don Armeni Boat Ramp area because it’s assisting King County Sheriff’s Office deputies with tracking suspects in a Burien-area carjacking. Avoid the area.

6:29 PM: King County and SPD units are now pursuing the vehicle, described as the gold Suburban that was stolen in the carjacking, southbound on Harbor.

6:31 PM: According to radio exchanges, the vehicle is still on the move but one suspect is in custody at or near Harbor/Spokane.

6:39 PM: The stolen vehicle is now reported to be stolen in a fiery crash at West Marginal Way/2nd SW. Law-enforcement officers and the helicopter were reported to have lost track of the vehicle before this happened. At least one person may still have been in the vehicle, which is now reported to be engulfed in flames.

(Image from nearest SDOT camera)

6:44 PM: SPD says SFD is telling them no one is in the vehicle. … The Suburban reportedly collided with a semitruck, though we don’t know if it was moving or parked. … And now police are saying the other suspect IS in the vehicle.

7:07 PM: One person is going to be taken to Harborview, per SFD. Note that streets are closed and buses (routes 131 and 132) rerouted in this area because of the crash investigation.

(WSB photo)

7:35 PM: Above, that’s the Suburban, in a photo sent by our crew just after they arrived. And this is the semi:

(WSB photo)

7:51 PM: We and a few other media crews are awaiting an SPD public-information officer. Meantime the officers and firefighters at the scene are awaiting an SDOT incident-response team to clean up an extensive fluid slick and other debris.

7:56 PM: The official briefing hasn’t happened yet but SFD spokesperson David Cuerpo is there too and has told us that the 53-year-old truck driver was checked out and OK, while the driver of the stolen car was in critical condition when transported.

8:44 PM: Both SFD’s Cuerpo and SPD spokesperson Officer Brian Pritchard have briefed us. The only major details beyond what we’ve reported above are that the first suspect, (updated) 21 years old, was arrested when he jumped out of the stolen vehicle at Harbor/Spokane; the person left behind in the vehicle, a juvenile, decided to drive off, and that’s the person who crashed the Suburban and was pulled from the wreckage.

10:31 PM: Police at the scene just told dispatch that the streets are cleared and reopened.

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21 Replies to "UPDATE: Burien carjacking suspects tracked to West Seattle; stolen vehicle then involved in fiery crash"

  • CarDriver December 29, 2023 (6:25 pm)

    Keep us updated! As an Alki resident any descriptions to share? Are they in a car now or did they ditch it and run?

    • WSB December 29, 2023 (6:34 pm)

      This has all moved to Harbor/Spokane and beyond.

  • Ernie December 29, 2023 (6:32 pm)

    Pretty wide search area:

    • WSB December 29, 2023 (7:21 pm)

      First they tracked the vehicle to a particular Alki address, then to Don Armeni, then southbound on Harbor, eventually ending with the West Marginal crash.

  • Lisa December 29, 2023 (6:33 pm)

    Thank you for your phenomenal reporting!!!!

  • Milty December 29, 2023 (6:43 pm)

    Thank you. I heard and saw the helicopters while walking my dog near Hiawatha. It seems serious and you’re right on it, WSB! So grateful for you and how you help us every day! 

  • Nathan December 29, 2023 (6:52 pm)

    Helicopter and sirens in Highland Park. Is this related?

    • WSB December 29, 2023 (7:15 pm)

      That was once the crash happened at W. Marginal/2nd.

  • Alkimike December 29, 2023 (7:04 pm)

    I had just got off the shuttle and strolled mt dog Dude to the entrance to Harbor Place ( still normal) when a bunch of Seattle and King County vehicles showed up. A lot of moving parts. Asked the guys the came back to their car if I could enter our garage and they said yes. Was crazy for the moment.

  • KayK December 29, 2023 (7:04 pm)

    The 131 southbound is stopped right at this scene and our driver was told a person is deceased.Avoid the area.

    • WSB December 29, 2023 (7:14 pm)

      Much conflicting info – we are headed that way in hopes of clarifying.

  • Alki resident December 29, 2023 (7:09 pm)

    I got a Citizen alert when the carjacking occurred on 157th and 1st in Burien. It’s important to get a kill switch and an air tag type tracking device in your cars. 

    • 1994 December 29, 2023 (9:54 pm)

      Does that intersection have a traffic signal? did the carjacking happen while the car was stopped at a red light? These carjacking’s are just horrible and must be terrifying to endure….such uncaring and thoughtless humans amongst us. I hope the people who had their car stolen are OK.

      • Alki resident December 29, 2023 (10:34 pm)

        I have zero details. The APP showed a carjacking and police were just responding. Have no idea if it was a parking lot or at a light but so happy they can’t hurt anyone else after this. 

  • Mike December 29, 2023 (7:19 pm)

    Are the people who were carjacked ok?  Hopefully they’re ok.

    • WSB December 29, 2023 (7:33 pm)

      Happened in Burien, so I don’t know. Just happened to be aware of the incident before all this because SPD broadcast an FYI to South/Southwest officers from KCSO that the stolen gold Suburban from an armed carjacking in south Burien was last seen “headed north.”

  • Caryshepherd@gmail.com December 30, 2023 (3:17 am)

    Please please   Detain these young  punks  from thinking they can do anything  lawless.   They need to be reminded that society in America has rules and laws and their behavior will be subject to long prison sentences.   That’s why most people don’t commit crimes.   They don’t want to go to prison.   At least that’s what thought back in the 80’s

    • KLR20 January 15, 2024 (1:50 pm)

      The “young punk” was a 14 year old who died. Stupid, yes, but not a great outcome. 😩

  • Minimom December 30, 2023 (9:47 am)

    Given the size of that vehicle, it makes me wonder if it was intended for driving into a business to steal things.  Either way the police did a great job.  Disgusted at what is happening in our city.

    • WSB December 30, 2023 (3:37 pm)

      The whole thing started in Burien, not Seattle. I don’t know what brought them to Alki, though, but will be interested to see what charging documents have to say regarding the one person who was arrested.

  • Shadowtripper December 30, 2023 (1:04 pm)

    Catch and release is the mantra for the Judges that fail to punish criminals, whether teens or adults.  The teen will probably live to create more loss in some innocent bystanders life.  The victim in this case is the semi truck driver that is an independent owner/operator.  He or she has probably lost their income for the foreseeable future.  In turn that puts his or her family on life support without income.Any pity should be with the victim not the perpetrator that had a choice of breaking the law or stepping aside and live a productive life.  I know many think we should as a village turn the cheek to crimes committed by teens (and adults) and give them another chance.  We as a village seem to be giving these few that repeatedly break the law without consequences more rope to hang themselves.  In this case a teen is pinned in a burning vehicle which they crashed into another vehicle and may or may not recover.  If dire consequences were invoked early in this teens life I’me pretty sure that this day of reconning would not have taken place.   Just  one persons view.

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