UPDATE: Close call reported in Harbor Avenue crash (Monday update)

8:22 PM FRIDAY: Thanks for the tips. No serious injuries reported, but a harrowing close call according to witnesses, in a crash that ended in the carport under that building on Harbor Avenue.

Police at the scene weren’t commenting, but witnesses say a mechanical problem might have factored into the driver of that Jeep first speeding through the Seacrest parking lot and then crossing Harbor Avenue, ending up crashed into at least one car in the carport.

ADDED: Thanks to Jesse for the next two photos:

ADDED MONDAY: A summary released today by SPD affirms evidence of mechanical trouble:

At 1910 hours, a male was driving a rental at the 1600 BLK of Harbor Ave SW. The vehicle had mechanical issues and sped up. The driver pulled up the emergency brake when it sped up, but there were issues with that too. The driver struck a vehicle, METRO pole, and another vehicle. The vehicle pushed a vehicle up against an apartment building. SFST tests were conducted and the PBT was used, and the driver didn’t show signs of impairment. A collision report was completed, and there was evidence of mechanical issues on the vehicle.

1994 July 11, 2025 (9:44 pm)

Looks like 2 totaled cars. Hope the jeep driver wasn’t injured.

Arch Stanton July 11, 2025 (10:03 pm)

Where is law and order? There’s escalations of criminality happening almost daily. This is not ok…. Fellow neighbors, where is your sense of propriety??

West Seattle Mad Sci Guy July 12, 2025 (1:21 am)

Criminality? Wasn’t this suspected auto malfunction?
k July 12, 2025 (3:56 am)

The story says it seems like a mechanical failure likely caused the incident.
Anne July 12, 2025 (7:48 am)

Criminality-propriety?? What???

CarDriver July 12, 2025 (8:21 am)

Arch. Our sense of propriety is with eyewitnesses and SPD investigators. Not you.

Kalo July 12, 2025 (8:34 am)

Yes, two vehicles are totaled, perhaps some structural damage to the carport. The cars and/or any damages to the building, can be replaced/repaired. Human lives, to so much. However, according to a witness, it seems perhaps the accelerator may have gotten stuck. The witness praised the driver for his quick actions of jumping the curb by Marination and hitting the dumpers next to the business, then going across the street. According to him, this action by the driver, saved injury or even death to any pedestrians. Also a blessing that no one was on the sidewalk, no cars passing by on Harbor Ave. at the time. (Bad photo of the dumpsters, but they are trashed!)

P July 12, 2025 (8:50 am)

As someone who was there, he came around the corner in the parking lot, and accelerated quickly, missing the line of people outside of marination. He crashed into the garbage cans pushing them about 100 feet. He was on the sidewalk and ran over the light pole, and crossed harbor ave where he crashed into the car. The sound of the crash and the screams of bystanders is stuck in my head. The fact that nobody was injured by the car/garbage cans is insane. There’s constantly people walking in front of the building, coming out of the restrooms .. etcIf this was a mechanical error, accelerator/ brakes not working all at the same time. I hope Jeep takes full accountability. This could have easily been a casualty, or even a mass casualty incident in so many ways, a true miracle happened. I’m forever thankful nobody happened to be in the path of this incident.

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