UPDATE: Car-on-side crash on 35th SW

(WSB photos)

6:29 PM: A two-car crash – one vehicle on its side – has 35th SW closed right now near SW Thistle. Avoid the area.

6:41 PM: Our crew was told at the scene that no one is seriously hurt.

8:01 PM: As noted in comments, 35th has since reopened; we just got a chance to go back to check.

8:42 PM: As also noted in comments, police say this was a hit-run, with one driver bolting the scene. Archived audio indicates officers found the 34-year-old man quickly, barely a block away, and told dispatch he was the driver of the on-its-side Range Rover.

blacksmith February 5, 2024 (6:51 pm)

How are the cars ending up on their sides? Seeing a lot of that lately.

Michaelphelps February 5, 2024 (9:08 pm)

Because SUVs are top heavy death traps
- Danimal February 5, 2024 (10:32 pm)
  
  That’s a bit overdramatic, dude. SUVs aren’t “death traps.” Accidents in an SUV don’t regularly result in deaths. Let’s tone down the hyperbole and note than any car, including low-slung sedans, can easily be flipped given the right circumstances. You can touch two tires together on cars going the same direction, and one of those tires can easily grab the other, climb it, and flip the car right over. Anything getting under the corner of a moving car, especially under the front corner, has some potential to flip the car depending on what physics are going on in the out-of-control event.
  - bolo February 5, 2024 (11:11 pm)
    
    Sure but the higher center-of-gravity top-heavy SUV will tend to roll over easier, Can’t argue against simple physics, deathtrap or not. ;-)
    - KM February 6, 2024 (7:12 am)
      
      Not to mention safety for people outside the vehicle!
  - Rick February 6, 2024 (8:38 am)
    
    I flipped my first car (’66Bug) in Sealth front parking lot. Anything is possible.
- Rick February 5, 2024 (10:49 pm)
  
  Minivans too. And they carry lots of kids. So “it’s for the kids”! Right?
Hammer in Hand February 6, 2024 (8:10 am)

Aggressive driving and speeds are contributing factors in many cases as well
Jean Lenning February 6, 2024 (9:14 pm)

Excessive speed!! Many people driving on 35th seem to think that they are on the Audubon. It’s scary and crazy how fast and reckless many people drive. Perhaps they’re waiting for a more serious accident to occur before they do something about speeding and reckless driving on 35th.

WS Alaskan February 5, 2024 (7:09 pm)

Looks like 35th is back open now. Glad nobody was seriously hurt!

WSlite February 5, 2024 (7:16 pm)

just before 6:30pm tonight, there was also a car versus pole collision along Olson Pl SW downhill between Roxbury and Myers Way. it looked like driver drove into pole. They were on phone when I passed by from opposite direction and others were pulled over next to them.

Del Griffith February 5, 2024 (7:16 pm)

Sounds like it was a hit and run and they caught the guy a few blocks south on 36th.

WSB February 5, 2024 (8:18 pm)

Someone asked us about the arrest on 36th/Trenton; I’m going back into audio to check on that, as I was away from the desk covering a community meeting at the time, and my partner didn’t hear about it at the scene.

HS February 5, 2024 (8:29 pm)

Geez. That looks scary. It takes a lot to flip an older Land Rover Discovery.

Rusty February 5, 2024 (8:58 pm)

If the initial contact is tire to tire the chance of flipping is surprisingly easy
- 1994 February 5, 2024 (10:14 pm)
  
  Kinda hard to tell if the red car hit the other flipped SUV’s tire. The red car is pretty smashed up. We can’t see the front of the flipped SUV, if it is smashed up. Good to hear no one was seriously hurt.

WS neighbor February 5, 2024 (9:33 pm)

Would love to know about the arrest on 36th/Trenton. I’m assuming it’s the guy who was driving the Range Rover. We have Ring footage from him leaving the sidewalk when cops were driving by. He went into our yard & towards the back yard when cops caught up with him.

WSB February 5, 2024 (10:01 pm)

Already updated above.

Gatewood88 February 5, 2024 (10:11 pm)

I definitely saw the driver of the Range Rover – I had turned around to avoid the scene right after the accident and there was a man and a woman (possibly more than that I couldn’t tell if the other peds were with them) on 36th and Trenton – and they just walked out in front of me.. completely ignoring that I was driving down the street and just seemed really out of place. Not dressed for the elements- looking lost, etc. At the time I wondered if they were involved… this confirms they were. I had a toddler in the car so I quickly was distracted but this was for sure what was going on…

Fairmount Park Neighbor February 6, 2024 (8:57 pm)

The reckless driving, needless tailgating, and aggressive speeding in Seattle are at a fever pitch. Add road rage to that… recipe for disaster. I see it on 35th as well as Fauntleroy all the time. It’s not just kid, Boomer are behaving badly!

Sorry, comment time is over.