Thanks to Joe for the tip. This is at Jan’s Salon at California/Frontenac (map). The driver is OK and says he missed the corner swerving to avoid something or someone. Nobody was in the beauty shop because it hadn’t opened yet; we’re told the owner has been called and is on the way – we’ll check back in with them a little bit later. Looks like significant damage to at least this corner of the salon:
For that matter, Jen, why didn’t he just run into WasteWater?
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Seriously though, what kind of speed was this person going to bury themselves into the wall like that? And how is that person not dead?
Another case of folks driving too fast. I just spoke with Jan (owner of the salon) no news on how bad the structural damage is. Hopefully we don’t lose another great WS small business.
What’s disturbing is that this is in a school zone! There is no way some going the speed limit would be able to do that much damage… thank goodness there weren’t any children involved!
What is really disturbing is that it took the police 45 minutes to get to the scene. After 45 minutes, one police officer showed up with no aid car. Both the father and the young girl in the truck were in shock and the little girl had minor inguries to her knee. I would think it would be standard procedure to have both people looked over for injuries after such a tramatic accident. Isn’t is common for people not to initially feel injuries while in shock? Luckily neighborhood people were there to care for them and bring them what they needed.
I live on this street and people often speed. This is a school zone but there are no signs and no speed bumps.
It wouldn’t take too much speed to knock in that spot. It’s mostly glass. But this struck me: “… missed the corner swerving to avoid something or someone.” What an odd thing to say, but maybe it isn’t a direct quote. I wonder if the driver had one hand holding a cell phone next to his ear when this happened.
I struggle with that intersection all the time, so this doesn’t surprise me (although busting through the side of a building is a bit severe).
I drop my child off in the back lot of Gatewood elementary in the AM, then exit via Frontenac and attempt to make a left turn onto California. In my opinion, this intersection would be made MUCH easier and less dangerous if two streetside parking spots were eliminated along the West side of California, one each on either side of Frontenac.
This would increase the visibility from all perspectives. Drivers zooming down California and turning at Frontenac would be better able to see bike riders and pedestrians. Drivers like me, turning onto California, would be able to see traffic from both directions without having to inch out into the street.
PSPS, we would have put it in quote marks if it had been a direct quote. Co-publisher Patrick went to the scene after the first tip came in and mentioned that the driver was very upset (understandably; certainly getting into a crash, whatever the cause, does not put you into the best of moods, particularly if a child was in the vehicle too, which wasn’t in the information I had to work with), so clear information was hard to come by, but Patrick reported the driver did make a point of saying he was swerving for a reason – TR
P.S. Have just posted a separate item atop the page with an update after Patrick went back down the hill a while ago to check on how the salon owner is doing.
most of the first comments and aspecially the comment by PSPS are very insensitive! no matter what the cause was there was a child in the car who could be one of your childrens friends or neighbor or schoolmates! and here you guys are thinking it a laugh! and making snide comments. how rude! you should be ashamed!
OK, I’ll be ashamed.
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But nothing in my comment could be construed as insensitive, jocular or rude.
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The driver apparently has no insurance, which is illegal according to RCW 46.30.020. I think your ire is better directed at him for his irresponsible behavior — “swerving for a reason” into the side of a building while driving his child in an uninsured vehicle.
re: police response
#1 – the accident was reported as a hit & run by a passerby who hung up on the 911 operator – and the address they gave was in the 4200 block of California Ave. (Jan’s is at the 6900 block) so the officer was looking in the wrong place.
#2 – someone at the scene has to request fire to respond (for injuries) – it’s not automatic
I was there right after it happened. The driver was avoiding hitting 2 other cars from how it sounded. The third car that actually is the one who pulled out in front of the truck, making the truck having to swerve, took off.
Any way, the truck driver had his little girl with him. I fully expected to see something pretty awful when I ran up there. But Thankfully they were ok. We consoled the little girl, I gave her my sweatshirt because she was cold, and another very nice lady got her some hot chocolate. We also had another gal help move his equipment from his truck to hers, so he could get home. They were very shook’in up, and sounded like he did the best thing he could have done given the situation. I’m not sure the owner of the Beauty Salon feels that way, but the fact that that little girl is ok, is a miracle in my eyes and hopefully gives the owner solice in that.
I read the upper post. The man who called 911 for us did not hang up, the phone dropped and the call was lost. He came at the best time and thankfully had his cell with him, the rest of us left ours at home today.
OK, gotta send another one. Sorry, next time i’ll read the others before posting.
First of all don’t cast stones. You were not there. Yes, insurance is required but it’s not what caused the accident, and is beside the point.
what caused the accident is a driver who pulled out and took off! Yes, it’s a terrible thing to see a truck IN a building but it doesn’t mean he was the one at fault. Know your facts before hand.
thank you jody! and to psps the whole “I wonder if the driver had one hand holding a cell phone next to his ear when this happened” and assuming he just hit the building for the fun of it, the wondering is because you dont know the facts but just jump to irrelevent blame.
the owner of the salon’s first comment to me was “the best thing is that everyone is o.k.”
too bad no one caught the plate of the car that caused the accident, because then their insurance would kick in for the building repairs….as it is at this point, the driver of the truck will still likely be held financially responsible for the damages to the building…which if you can’t afford insurance you certainly can’t afford the $20,000 + to cover the rebuild and loss of business. I am glad his kid is ok – but I would hope this is a wake up call to go out and at the very least get some liability insurance on the vehicle.
Did any of you actually see this accident occur? I was in Cafe Ladro (along with about a dozen other people) when this happened. The truck was traveling north on California Ave. when another driver pulled out from their parking spot in front of the truck. Had the driver of the truck been driving at the posted 20 mph school zone speed limit, he could have avoided the other driver without running into a building. I would say both drivers were at fault. Thank goodness the driver of the truck didn’t hit any children who are typically crossing the street at that intersection while walking to school. That being said, I am glad the driver and his daughter were not hurt.
Sorry, comment time is over.
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