UPDATE: Flipped-car crash on Admiral Way

Jason September 11, 2024 (10:04 am)

How many is this now?? Admiral Way and Highland Park Dr. need to be single lanes with speed bumps and/or stop lights in the middle of the hills. It’s the only way to prevent some of this. It’s downright scary how bad and fast drivers are here. Someone is going to get killed (again).

Carl September 11, 2024 (3:37 pm)

Why stop there? Just ban cars! People clearly can’t be trusted to drive cars, so we should inconvenience everyone to teach them a lesson.
My two cents September 11, 2024 (3:47 pm)

@jason – can you show me where speeding was cited as the cause or factor in this incident …. Apart from your hope/opinion.

SlowDown September 11, 2024 (10:16 am)

Seriously, there is a flipped car or car-on-side crash in WS every day…what is going on?

KT September 11, 2024 (10:51 am)

I know right? So weird.
Kris September 11, 2024 (11:05 am)

I was just gonna ask the same thing. Is this normal everywhere, or are there invisible one sided ramps only in West Seattle?
WS Res September 11, 2024 (11:59 am)

We have an excellent hyper-local news source that reports these things even when there isn’t a major injury or a crime associated with them. That’s “what’s going on.”
- Samantha September 11, 2024 (4:13 pm)
  
  That does not explain why so many flipped car accidents have occurred in the past week. That’s the question. Your comment just states something obvious to all of us? Since we are here? Reading this blog?
  - Andrew September 11, 2024 (5:02 pm)
    
    The contention here is that it’s not necessarily more common here than elsewhere – just that we hear about it more. It wouldn’t change the fact that we have objectively a higher than expected number of these events (if you feel that way) but it does mean we may just be average or below and just see it more often.

AO September 11, 2024 (10:31 am)

Speed limit on that hill is 25, folks! Every time I drive through there, I look forward to being a pace car, slowing down everyone who hasn’t made the transition from bridge to neighborhood speeds.

Pete September 11, 2024 (12:18 pm)

Racing down that hill in greasy conditions is madness. I’m one of those inconsiderate people who actually keeps to the speed limit, the number of times I have someone riding my bumper even in the right lane is crazy. I’m not sure who needs to hear this – but you can set off five minutes earlier and not speed. Or just turn up late. Act like a grown up and plan ahead, it’s weird how some of us can manage it. Just another example of the vanishing social contract.
Bree September 11, 2024 (12:31 pm)

HAH! That’s you? Eat my dust.
- Sarge September 11, 2024 (1:23 pm)
  
  #tonedeaf
- Jason September 11, 2024 (1:40 pm)
  
  We got an edglord speeder over here, look out for Bree folks! (literally)
- JM September 11, 2024 (2:47 pm)
  
  You are a sad excuse for a human being if you think it’s laughable to follow speed limits. When karma gets you as it always does look in the mirror and laugh at your sad self.
  - Andrew September 11, 2024 (5:03 pm)
    
    You can wish all you want, but civil engineers and city planners have known since forever that swapping a sign does not change driver behavior. Hold your city leaders to a higher standard if you want actual change in actions.
West Seattlite September 11, 2024 (1:25 pm)

So you are the 21 MPH in the 25MPH lane person who feels entitled to be a self proclaimed traffic officer by slowing down anyone you please for your own amusement? Grow up
- YT September 11, 2024 (3:30 pm)
  
  The recklessness and entitlement of so many drivers is unbelievable. Following the law by driving at or slightly below the speed limit is not the problem. The speed limit is exactly what it sounds like, which is a limit to how fast a driver is allowed to drive. It’s not the minimum required speed. Why do people think it’s ok to break the law as soon as they get inside a car, especially when drivers kill over 40k people every year in our country?
- SoLongDelridge September 12, 2024 (1:37 am)
  
  Which part of limit do you not understand?
- Lagartija Nick September 12, 2024 (9:59 am)
  
  @West Seattlite. Only in MAGA world are the people following the law the ‘entitled’ ones. You people are unbelievable, it’s no wonder you want a convicted felon to be president.
  - Wiggy September 13, 2024 (4:21 pm)
    
    Drawing a conclusion to someone’s politics based on their driving is a bit of a stretch of the imagination, don’t you think….? Come on now.
WSLifer September 11, 2024 (1:35 pm)

Come on, you are part of the problem. The speed limit may be 25, but you’re not some enforcer of the law. You’re as bad (if not quite as dangerous) as the stupid right wing vigilante types. Drive with the pace of traffic to prevent people having to constant go around you.
- J September 11, 2024 (2:57 pm)
  
  To drive the speed of the average car on Admiral one would have to drive in excess of 50 MPH. So to those of you who whine you can only hope that you aren’t the next fatality on Admiral because the day is coming. Sad excuse for licensed drivers who refuse to obey speed laws.
- Matthew September 11, 2024 (3:23 pm)
  
  If they’re driving 25mph and the legal maximum is 25mph, why would other cars “have to” go around them? Can’t those cars just “drive with the pace of traffic” instead of dangerously passing at illegal speeds?
- AO September 11, 2024 (4:40 pm)
  
  lol @ “driving the speed limit” = “right wing vigilante types”
SJ September 11, 2024 (4:17 pm)

RCW 46.61.465

Exceeding speed limit evidence of reckless driving.

The unlawful operation of a vehicle in excess of the maximum lawful speeds provided in this chapter at the point of operation and under the circumstances described shall be prima facie evidence of the operation of a motor vehicle in a reckless manner by the operator thereof.

Lisa September 11, 2024 (1:22 pm)

I can tell who is new to the blog because these flipped car reports have been going on for years (although it seems we’ve been on a good streak for the past week or two). The rest of us are not shocked.

Mr. Flippy created a t-shirt design back in 2019 (“I flipped my car in West Seattle!”) but it’s no longer showing up on the post where he commented.

Jason September 11, 2024 (3:21 pm)

“Going on for years” so let’s maybe stop and start road dieting and utilizing public transport more? What does “Being new” matter here? It’s still killing people and causing lots of time and money to clean up.

SlowDownButAlsoDrive September 11, 2024 (3:09 pm)

Oh I’m not new to the blog by any stretch, but I’ve never commented on any of the flipped car stuff until today. I feel like it’s literally a daily occurrence as of late. It just boggles my mind how easily cars flip on this side of town.

Curios George September 11, 2024 (3:40 pm)

While the legal speed limit is 25, traffic, including myself drives faster and logically there shouldn’t be an issue till the bottom or top curves yet these flops seem to be on the straight aways, why? Inattentive drivers, cell phones???

bill September 11, 2024 (8:05 pm)

Why? Because not all incidents end with a flip or a flop mentioned in WSB. I encountered a pickup coming uphill/westbound at the top curve spinning a 360 when I was going east. A pox on speeders. Modern cars are too safe. Too many Darwin Award wannabes fail to qualify for nomination.
cwit September 12, 2024 (1:34 pm)

Curios – The pictures and map indicate the car is flipped over right after Olga St, which is where one of the bigger corners/curves ends on Admiral. If they were going south/downhill on Admiral, I wouldn’t exactly say it happened on a straightaway. Not saying they weren’t distracted either, though.

Admiral-2009 September 11, 2024 (6:15 pm)

AO – the speed limit on Admiral Hill was 35 mph for years that was a technically credible limit, then it was lowered to 30 mph without any technical justification and then SDoT lowered it again without any traffic study. The basic fact is that the 25 mph limit on this multi lane Principal Arterial with a sidewalk is not reasonable and reduces safety for all user’s of the corridor! The 35 mph limit was technically reasonable and appropriate.

YT September 11, 2024 (6:46 pm)

One justification for this decrease could be the fact that someone hit by a driver doing 35 mph is 4 times more likely to be killed than if the driver was doing 25. There are other safety benefits of a lower speed limit, but this alone should be enough to warrant the decrease. People’s lives are more important than the convenience of drivers.
- Karl September 13, 2024 (7:56 am)
  
  How about a traffic cop on Admiral Way and Highland Park Way? Anyone remember enforcement on the high level bridge when they implemented the bus lane? Once or twice a month you’d see police writing tickets, and it worked. But we don’t seem to have enough cops now. Buses are useless to me. Service has been cut in half and the stops near my home have been deleted from the route. Why walk twice as far, wait twice as long, and pay $90 for a monthly pass? That’s more than I pay for gas!
- Who’s walking on admiral September 14, 2024 (11:40 pm)
  
  Other than the crosswalk at the top of the hill, there is nowhere in this stretch of admiral where people should be crossing the street, and nowhere to cross to.
KBear September 11, 2024 (8:40 pm)

Admiral, the distance from the bottom of the hill to the top is around 4000 feet—less than a mile. It only takes around 30 seconds longer to travel it at 25 mph, compared to 35 mph. If you’re actually some kind of traffic engineer, feel free to check my math. In the meantime, please slow down and check your apostrophes.
SoLongDelridge September 12, 2024 (1:40 am)

No evidence? Or you know it won’t be credible so you’d rather declare it.
Brian Moore September 12, 2024 (9:20 am)

Well said. Totally agree.
Jort September 12, 2024 (4:06 pm)

You always say this, and have absolutely zero evidence of any kind to support your imaginative statement that a lower speed limit “reduces safety for all user’s of the corridor.” You have said this for years and years. There is plainly zero evidence to support it. It may be worth a review by a professional standards organization looking into unethical behaviors.

Matt September 11, 2024 (7:53 pm)

@westseattleblog are these comments real or was the comments section inundated by bots? I’m shocked at the vitriol aimed at the few people stating they drive the speed limit or suggest we try to make the roads safer. I applaud you few and totally support taking more steps towards safety. I’m glad SDOT has been promoting slower speed limits. Contrary to the very strange statement that a higher speed limit is safer on a principal arterial, lower speed limits are proven safer. If I had to opine on a way to get there, enforcement. Give traffic cameras some actual teeth and enforce traffic laws. I passed by this particular flipped car just after the woman got out of the car and was hysterically crying with her daughter. She whizzed by me on Hanford in a pretty aggressive way just minutes before – and I recall thinking she was driving kinda crazy. Thank goodness they are alive. I am super curious how she flipped the car. Driving too fast around the curve? Turning on to admiral too quickly? On to Google to search how easy it is to flip cars.

Dave H September 12, 2024 (6:14 am)

I was 3 cars back waiting to turn onto Admiral yesterday when the accident happened I’ve seen at least 6 cars flipped at that exact spot since 1997. It’s potentially a perfect environment for flipping a car: limited visibility corner, excessive speed (it’s the start of a straightaway eastbound to the bridge) , often wet roads (like yesterday morning), slow traffic pulling out and turning across the road, commuter cars that don’t handle well, driver over-steering in last minute avoidance maneuvers -I could go on but you get the general idea..Outside of speed bumps in the area, a traffic light for cars (not just the crosswalk) with a no turn on red sign would decrease speeds and improve safety at the intersection. Yes it will slow commute times and yes people will run the light. But we have limited options. It’s a dangerous corner and a transition between higher speed roads to residential roads.A consistent police speed check every few days from 7-8am eastbound would also help.

Admiral-2009 September 12, 2024 (9:30 am)

YT – traffic control that is not technically credible reduces traffic safety for all user’s.

YT September 12, 2024 (11:21 am)

Why is it not credible? This is a road shared between drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists, with a bus line, where drivers have been known to crash their vehicles up onto the sidewalk, and in this case, flip their car on the roadway. I understand that most drivers are going to continue to ignore the laws of the road, but that isn’t reason to avoid making the appropriate changes. This is also why cities, Seattle included, are forced to implement road diets to slow drivers to safe speeds.
YT September 12, 2024 (11:31 am)

I suggest everyone here type “admiral way crash” into the search bar on this blog to see just how safe this stretch of road is. The search results are a seemingly endless list of flipped cars, head-on collisions, crashes onto sidewalks, and people killed or hospitalized.

wetone September 12, 2024 (10:24 am)

Interesting how people here keep advocating for lowering speed limits, more speed bumps, more signage, more bollards, more road diets, road redesign, Healthy Street’s, and more…… City has been addressing and implementing all this and doing just what is mentioned above over last 5yrs. So explain why frequency of these accidents have increased greatly ????? I’ll tell ya, it’s called “Driver Accountability” Our government has gotten away from holding people accountable for their actions. Do some research and see what percentage of drivers involved were paying attention “as on phone or app, have a license, insurance, legal roadworthy vehicle, impaired, understand laws signage and regulations….. again most all these types of accidents are directly tied to the driver. Seattle can add all the so called bandaids they want but nothing will change. As the responsible legal lawful drivers have all their travels impacted by all this bs ;)

Bbron September 12, 2024 (10:27 am)

reading some of the comments here inspired me to make “The Entitled Car Driver’s Prayer” (it’s a work in progress. I need more of my muses to comment):

Speeding didn’t cause an accident.
If there was an accident, it was distracted driving.
And if they were speeding, it was the road and the government’s fault.
But since I know they weren’t speeding, it’s because they are one of the foolish drivers.
And that could never be me because I’m not foolish, and I know how to speed safely.
And if someone slows me down, I curse them and do whatever I can to get around them to, for I deserve to speed.