West Seattle, Washington
30 Thursday
6:05 PM: Thanks for the tips – westbound Genesee is closed just east of Avalon because a truck trailer’s load spilled.
6:28 PM: Just went by. Still blocked but traffic is getting by both ways, alternating, with SPD directing.
7 PM: Via Twitter, SDOT says it may take a few hours for this to be cleaned up so the westbound lane can reopen.
8:05 PM: Added that photo from Daniel, who says he saw it happen: “Truck driver attempted to go up the hill, failed, rocked the truck and the load of bricks came out.” He says police told him the driver was cited.
10:23 PM: Thanks for the updates – Genesee is open again both ways.
One week after we first reported that Seattle Public Utilities plans a huge flushing operation intended to lessen the recurring brown-water problems, SPU has settled on where and when it will begin. Word is going out in postal mail today, with a map, announcement, and FAQ. SPU plans to start the flushing the week of April 18th in this area:
That entire area will not be flushed on the same day – it’ll be different neighborhoods on different days (more like, nights) from April through June. Here’s the text of the letter that will accompany the map:
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) will begin flushing water mains in West Seattle starting the week of April 18, 2016. The map on the back of this page shows the area in purple that will be flushed first (from April through June). Eventually more water mains throughout West Seattle neighborhoods will be flushed, which will take several months to complete.
SPU is performing this major water-main flush to help maintain water quality and reduce the uptick in discolored water that some West Seattle customers have been experiencing since last summer. Flushing won’t eliminate discolored water, but it will help decrease it.
What do customers need to do? Residents and businesses do not need to take any action to prepare for this work. Customers will be able to use their water as usual. When crews are flushing nearby, customers may notice a slight reduction in their water pressure. They may also see temporary discolored water, which should clear quickly once crews are done flushing the water main. Running the cold water for a few minutes can also help clear the discoloration.
Why does discolored water occur? Discolored water can happen when crews operate a fire hydrant, when there is a water main break or leak, or when the water in the pipes is forced to travel in a different direction than normal. When one of these events happens, naturally occurring sediment in the water and rust in the pipes get stirred up, causing the water to look discolored.
Flushing the water mains will remove some of the sediment and rust that has been resting in the pipes. This will help reduce the level of discoloration and the time it takes for the water to clear when there’s a disturbance in the pipes.
Is the water safe? Yes. Every single day, SPU takes samples throughout the system of the drinking water that it provides to 1.4 million people. The water is tested for contaminants and is regulated by the Washington State Department of Health. Seattle’s water remains safe to drink.
Questions or concerns: If you have any questions or concerns about the flushing process or discolored water, please read through the “Frequently Asked Questions” sheet that is enclosed with this mailing. If you experience any problems with your water, contact SPU’s 24-hour emergency line at 206-386-1800.
We thank you for your patience and understanding while SPU strives to continue to provide some of our nation’s best drinking water.
Also being mailed with the map and letter, a two-page list of Frequently Asked Questions and answers – read them here. And in the meantime, if you get discolored water, wherever you are, whenever it happens, SPU wants to hear from you at that same number, above, the one we’ve been publishing in brown-water coverage since last fall.
(UPDATED 3:37 PM with city reply to our followup inquiry)
(WSB photo, November 2015)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
One of the discussion threads woven through the West Seattle tree-cutting case these past two weeks has been the monetary value of a tree.
In another West Seattle case, it appears that value has been set at $11,000.
You might recall the reader video last November 15th showing a big red cedar cut on a Sunday morning on the future site of the 4532 42nd SW mixed-use development (immediately north of the Junction QFC).
If you’re not going out of town for spring break – take some time Tuesday and see what the Admiral Neighborhood Association is up to. New president Larry Wymer sends word of what’s on the agenda:
GROWTH IN SEATTLE, HALA, & THE GRAND BARGAIN
7:00 pm Tuesday, April 12, 2016Roger Valdez – Director of ‘Smart Growth Seattle’ – will discuss 21st century approaches for new and unique (and sometimes controversial) choices to help create a wide range of housing choices to address the varied needs of Seattle’s growing population, something of significant interest to us in the northern section of West Seattle as we witness significant changes along our major corridors. Roger will provide a perspective largely from the development community which is sure to provide for a lively Q&A.
Larry Wymer will provide an overview of the newly released Sound Transit 3 plan which will extend light rail into West Seattle, and what you can do to help influence the final design to reflect Admiral/West Seattle needs.
We will finalize our discussion, and establish the Association’s position, on the potential of lowering default speed limits within Seattle for non-arterial neighborhood streets to 20 mph, and 25 mph on selected arterials.
And finally, we will seek membership input as we work to refine our on-line presence & communications/ notifications protocols to best suit your needs.
The ANA meets at The Sanctuary at Admiral, at 2656 42nd Ave SW. Our monthly meetings are held the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm. Everyone is welcome to attend.
If you missed it, here’s our coverage of the March ANA meeting.
Another warmer-than-normal spring day – and it’s Friday, with Seattle Public Schools‘ spring break starting as soon as the day’s final bell rings. So you know it’s going to be busy at the beach. As for everywhere else, here are highlights from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar:
GIVE THE GIFT OF LIFE: Until 4 pm, a mobile blood drive is under way at the Alki Masonic Center in The Junction. Closed noon-1 pm for a break; otherwise, walkups welcome; more info here. (40th SW/SW Edmunds)
BUSINESS OPENING: Thanks to Kennedy for sharing the word that it’s day one for Bishops Barbershop in the east building of Junction 47. Go see Kyler Martz‘s mural! (42nd SW/SW Alaska)
WINE RELEASE AT VISCON CELLARS: Two new wines are being released at West Seattle winery Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor) today and tomorrow, “a new Cabernet Sauvignon and new Cabernet Franc, both from 2012,” says proprietor Ben Viscon, who shares the photo:
The tasting room is open from 5-9 pm tonight, 2-7 pm Saturday. (5910 California SW)
WEST SEATTLE LITTLE LEAGUE’S ROCKFORD PEACHES: You saw them here earlier this week – tonight it’s their only Bar-S game of the season, per Coach Sean. Go cheer the WSLL’s first all-girl coach-pitch team! Playing the Thunderbirds, 5 pm. (64th SW/SW Admiral Way)
GARY BENSON: Solo performer live at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor), 7-9 pm. (5612 California SW)
LAST NIGHT FOR ‘THE ADDAMS FAMILY’: Haven’t seen the West Seattle High School musical comedy yet? Last chance!
7:30 pm at the WSHS Theater – more info here. (3000 California SW)
MORE LIVE MUSIC: Stoned Evergreen Travelers, Skull of Old Saul, Me Infecto at Parliament Tavern in Admiral, 9 pm. (4210 SW Admiral Way)
It’s “more than an obituary,” declared the subject line for the e-mail that began, “A neighborhood icon has recently passed away. He (and his huge, friendly dog) always walked the streets and so many people knew him — if not by name — and will miss his presence and be wondering what happened to him.” So this is in memory of North Admiral resident Jake Ellis Couch, gone at 83:
This sad news comes after a very long struggle with health problems that peaked on March 24 when Jake agreed to go to Virginia Mason Hospital. Tests showed massive damage to his heart and other organs from a silent heart attack some time ago. He was able to enjoy a few days visiting with family and friends while receiving excellent care from the hospital staff until his death on April 2.
Jake was from a proud fourth-generation West Seattle family. His great grandmother came north from California in 1902 in a covered wagon and settled on Gatewood Hill. He grew up in the North Admiral neighborhood and attended Lafayette, Madison, and West Seattle High, graduating in 1950 when he volunteered for service in the Korean War. Jake was a devoted family man who worked for Seattle City Light Underground, enjoyed skiing, the cabin he built near Crystal Mountain, the farm in Duvall, wood carving, and socializing with north Admiral neighbors while walking his dog.
We are so grateful to friends and family for concern and support. Your presence in our lives has given us the gift of joyful memories. No flowers please — remembrances can be made to your favorite charity.
(WSB publishes West Seattle obituaries by request, free of charge. Please e-mail the text, and a photo if available, to editor@westseattleblog.com)
(Click any view for a close-up; more cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
7 AM: Good morning – no incidents in/from West Seattle so far. What you need to know otherwise:
WATER TAXI NOW 7 DAYS A WEEK: The spring/summer schedule starts today (and remember the free-rides-all-day celebration on Sunday). The new schedule adds weekends and Friday/Saturday nights in time for the …
MARINERS’ HOME OPENER: Tonight at Safeco Field, 7:10 pm vs. the A’s.
SPRING BREAK NEXT WEEK: Seattle Public Schools are out next week (Vashon, too).
520 BRIDGE CLOSED THIS WEEKEND … so the I-90 bridge will be busier. (520 is being readied for a partial opening of the new bridge to vehicle traffic starting next week.)
8:14 AM UPDATE: Just getting word of trouble on northbound 99 at King Street – a crash is blocking the right lane.
8:57 AM UPDATE: SDOT says the crash has cleared, but the 3-mile backup will take a while to ease.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
It’s been a question spanning many years and many plans – what will be built at High Point’s last big vacant corner, 35th and Graham?
The two-building mixed-use project Upton Flats at 6058 35th SW might be the one destined to happen. It won final Southwest Design Review Board approval tonight.
Four of the five board members were present along with the project’s assigned city planner Tami Garrett: Chair Tod Bronk, Matt Zinski, Alexandra Moravec, and Don Caffrey, to take one more look, and offer one more round of feedback on, the project with two 4-story buildings, about 100 residential units, 10,000 square feet of commercial space, and 100+ offstreet-parking spaces, now planned below grade.
(Photo: Craig Hayslip, Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute)
The Whale Trail‘s Donna Sandstrom says Bruce Mate is “one of the world’s great whale researchers” – and is excited that he’s booked for the spring Orca Talk, 7 pm April 21st at The Hall @ Fauntleroy.
Join us for this rare Seattle appearance by renowned whale researcher Bruce Mate. Bruce will demonstrate how his teams use satellite-monitored radio tags to identify critical habitats and migration routes of endangered whales to protect them. His talk will focus on western and ENP gray whales, right whales, and contemporary issues for blue whales during the last few years of warm water as examples.
Bruce Mate is the Director and Endowed Chair of the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University, and founder of Oregon’s Whale Watching Spoken Here program.
Bruce’s talk is hosted by The Whale Trail, and co-sponsored by Seal Sitters and the American Cetacean Society, Puget Sound Chapter. Celebrate Earth Day by learning about whales!
Tickets are $10 ($5 for kids under 12) – available now at brownpapertickets.com.
(WSB photos. Above, artist Lezlie Jane, with former City Councilmember Tom Rasmussen)
It’s been years in the making – in this WSB story from five years ago, for example, you’ll find a mention of sculptural art planned at what is now Junction 47, as part of the “public benefits” required for the City Council to grant an alley vacation for the two-building megaproject. Tonight, community advocates and neighbors gathered to celebrate what was eventually created and installed – prolific local artist Lezlie Jane‘s 10 panels telling West Seattle stories, including that of our area’s First People:
With the panel honoring the Duwamish, we photographed Duwamish Tribe chair Cecile Hansen and Ken Workman. Tonight’s gathering included a walking tour and cake from Bakery Nouveau:
The Junction Neighborhood Organization and West Seattle Junction Association, both involved in advocacy throughout the planning of the development as well as its public benefits, co-hosted tonight’s gathering.
(From left, JuNO’s René Commons, WSJA’s Susan Melrose, JuNO’s Abdy Farid, past JuNO leader Erica Karlovits)
You can go see Jane’s artwork any time, on the southeast corner of California and Alaska – view and learn about each of the 39-inch-tall panels via this section of her website.
Seattle Public Utilities has a cleanup plan for Saturday that might affect traffic on Dumar Way:
SPU will perform routine ditch and culvert cleaning beginning on the 1700 block of Dumar Way SW [map] in West Seattle on Saturday, April 9 between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Maintenance crews will be progressively cleaning along Dumar Way SW, with a single lane closure shifting in conjunction with their workflow. Traffic will be impacted in the area. SPU has scheduled this work on a weekend to reduce traffic congestion. Expect traffic and bus delays.
4:34 PM: That video just released by Seattle Police, 14 hours after the early-morning Highland Park Way crash that killed two people – including the driver of the stolen vehicle an officer was pursuing – shows the two minutes leading up to and including the crash.
Also new, via SPD Blotter, police say the driver of that car, a Honda taken at gunpoint in Beacon Hill about three hours earlier, was a 16-year-old boy. The update says that while a handgun was found in that car, detectives “do not yet know what role the 16-year-old played in this morning’s carjacking,” which happened on Beacon Hill.
Along with the video we have embedded above, SPD’s update also includes an audio clip from radio communication going back to the officer who first spotted the stolen vehicle near the Southwest Precinct.
The King County Medical Examiner did not release the teenager’s identity today but did identify the 21-year-old man killed in the westbound car he hit, a 1996 Honda Acura Integra, as Devin Francis. A dog found in the Acura was seriously hurt and rushed to an emergency vet but also died.
The SPD Blotter update quotes Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole as saying, “The collision that took the lives of two people this morning is devastating to the families of the deceased and the officers involved. My thoughts and prayers are with them all. SPD is conducting a thorough investigation around the circumstances that led to this event.”
SPD’s pursuit policy is online here.
ADDED FRIDAY MORNING: Kathleen sent this photo overnight showing a roadside memorial:
ADDED 3:47 PM FRIDAY: The Medical Examiner has identified the 16-year-old who was killed as Kenneth Dion Williams, Jr.
Another business burglary overnight … this time at Meeples Games (WSB sponsor). Co-proprietor Laura Schneider shares the photo above from their surveillance camera, and a partial list of what the burglar stole:
This guy has been here before and knew exactly what he was doing so he may be identifiable by a reader. He’s small – a little over 5’ tall. He climbed around to the balcony and broke in the back.
Stolen:
Booster packs for Magic including OGW, BFZ, Origins, DTK, FRF, and KTK. Also YuGiOh! packs of Clash of Rebellions, Dimensions of Chaos, Breaker of Shadows and Dragons of Legend.
All of our FNM and Buy a Box promo cards, all of our red, green, black and white singles. He left the blue and the lands. A box of about 400 full art lands. Various other singles we are working to name, but here are a few:
A judge foil Dark Confidant
2 full art game day promo Languish
the WotC holiday promo Goblin Sleighride
foil Blightsteel Collasus
2 expedition Eye of Ugin
8 Eye of Ugin
4 Eldrazi Temple
4 GP Goblin Guidesvarious other cards we are working to identify
If you recognize the burglar and/or have any other information, please contact police. The incident number is 16000119105.
(WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli)
12:37 PM: Thanks to those who tipped us to a collision reported to be blocking most of SW Admiral Way by Metropolitan Market (WSB sponsor), between 41st and 42nd. We don’t know the circumstances yet – one man was reported to be down.
12:45 PM: WSB’s Christopher Boffoli has just been at the scene and says it was an 89-year-old man crossing the street with groceries, hit by a car. Witnesses told Christopher the man was briefly unconscious but a registered nurse who was nearby stayed with him until medics arrived. The lanes have reopened but police are still there investigating, he says. The man was taken to Harborview Medical Center.
(ADDED THURSDAY AFTERNOON: Seattle Channel video of entire meeting)
10:12 AM: We’re at Seattle City Hall, where the City Council’s Parks, Seattle Center, Libraries, and Waterfront Committee is tackling the topic of “tree stewardship” – including the much-discussed, recently revealed case of illegal cutting in the Duwamish Head Greenbelt.
Public comment started the meeting, and that included half a dozen people speaking in favor of tree stewardship, including two members of the Seattle Green Spaces Coalition, which has its roots in West Seattle. We’ll add toplines of their remarks later.
The Seattle Channel feed is not embeddable, so you’ll have to follow this link to watch live.
The committee is chaired by Councilmember Debora Juarez; also here are its official members Sally Bagshaw and Bruce Harrell, and District 1 Councilmember Lisa Herbold. First, the slide deck goes through the background on why “trees are vital” (you can see the slide deck in our story from Tuesday).
10:20 AM: They’ve jumped on to questions about the incident, including how to find out about it earlier. Parks Supt. Jesús Aguirre says they rely heavily on tips from the public – in this case, “it was on the list,” he says, and they just didn’t get to it that quickly, because it wasn’t at “the top of the list.” SDOT’s Kubly says his department gets a few complaints a month about illegal cutting – it’s “Category 1” if public safety is involved, a downed tree, etc., “we respond to those as quickly as we can” – illegal cutting is only “Category 3.” They’ll “send an inspector out as quickly as we can” if they have information that it’s happening right now. “The e-mail came to us and didn’t give any indication of the severity, that the location was being clearcut,” he said; you’ll recall that the East Admiral cutting was reported to have been reported to SDOT in January, then eventually checked out by Parks in February.
Assistant City Attorney Joseph Groshong is asked about how his department pursues cases like this. The process “takes time” to be sure they have the right people, etc. “If there are people listening out there who participated and want to come forward … it would help us speed up the resolution,” he volunteered. “We have a cross-department effort to get to the bottom of this …” He noted that the “criminal side” of the case is in the hands of the Police Department (as we reported last week), while the City Attorney’s Office is pursuing civil and “regulatory.” “We can’t share the details of what we are doing because that might risk what we can recover for the people of Seattle,” he said.
Councilmember Juarez also noted that City Attorney Pete Holmes had spent an hour in his briefing with councilmembers earlier this week, saying the case could go to Superior Court as well.
Councilmember Bagshaw notes that the council recently discussed “encroachment” on parkland and declared this “the biggest encroachment of all.”
10:31 AM: Now they’re looking at photo/map images of where this happened, and Councilmember Juarez asked for an explanation of the question many had asked, “how could (this many) trees have been cut and nobody noticed?” Replied Supt. Aguirre, “It’s hard to see … (and) we don’t have folks from city staff out there actively looking at” the area.
“How many homes have better views now?” he’s asked. He mentions that half a dozen houses are directly adjacent to the area. Councilmember Herbold mentions what she had told us previously, the County Assessor’s office revisiting the area to be sure the view evaluation information is accurate for properties in the area. Herbold adds that she received a letter from a tribe offering trees to help restore the area.
Kubly says SDOT will work with Parks on a restoration plan and he believes it’s going to include a mix of conifers. He also said that one of his first questions when he heard about this was whether a retaining wall would need to be built to protect Admiral Way.
Council President Harrell says that he hopes that even as the civil and criminal investigations proceed, that the restoration won’t have to wait – that there’ll be a plan sooner. “And somehow through all this madness, we’ll be better than we were on the new area.” He hopes that somehow “we can turn this into a positive thing” and “the community that has been devastated by this” will experience that.
Juarez says she wants to see a return to the committee “to report to us where you’re at … not only on the restoration plan but what we’re doing to address this.” She says the public wants to be reassured “that we’re taking this more than seriously.”
Herbold adds that “as policymakers” the council has been asked to take a look at existing laws and whether they need to be beefed up, and she “would like to take a deeper dive” into that.
Aguirre is now acknowledging the process by which homeowners have been allowed to seek permits for cutting city-owned trees in some spots and says there’s a “disconnect” between parts of his department, and wants to work on that.
Juarez suggests that homeowners who border greenbelts/parkland should have to know what their responsibilities are so they don’t just have something done and plead ignorance.
Kubly says, “We need one point of entry” for tree complaints, and again acknowledges the lack of followup to clarify the original report made to his department. He also says there should be a baseline followup time along the lines of the “72-hour” rule for potholes. He says SDOT is working on various things including a “Tree Capital Plan.”
10:55 AM: The discussion is wrapping up and so is the meeting. Bottom line: No new information about who did it and what will happen to them, but vows all around that this is being taken “very seriously” though the original complaint received in January was not taken particularly seriously – with illegal tree-cutting complaints considered low priority.
4:05 PM: Just added video of the entire meeting.
Busy day/night ahead in West Seattle, and here are some of the reasons why:
CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE TALKS TREE-CUTTING: As first reported here Tuesday, the City Council’s Parks, Seattle Center, Libraries, & Waterfront Committee will talk this morning about the West Seattle illegal tree-cutting case during a discussion of “tree stewardship.” The meeting is at City Hall at 9:30 am and includes a public-comment period; it’ll be live on the Seattle Channel, cable 21 and seattlechannel.org. (500 4th Ave.)
OUR OCEAN & YOU: From Stacia Bell at Madison Middle School‘s library:
In preparation for Earth Day on April 22nd, underwater photographer and environmental speaker Annie Crawley will be visiting Madison Middle School on Thursday, April 7th to share some amazing underwater images with students and talk with them about the environmental challenges our planet faces from the impact of climate change and marine debris.
Through her stories and photographs, she hopes to teach students about the interdependence we have with the ocean and empower them to take action in protecting it. Grade-level assemblies will occur during 1st, 2nd and 4th period in the cafeteria and parents/guardians are welcome to join us. Contact Ms. Bell in the library if you have any questions.
(45th SW/SW Spokane)
TINKERLAB AT HIGH POINT LIBRARY: Earlier this week, we’re told, Tinkerlab‘s debut at Delridge Library was a hit.
4-6 pm today, you’ll find the all-ages STEM-activity program at High Point Library. (35th SW/SW Raymond)
JUNCTION ART DEDICATION: 6 pm on the southeast corner of California and Alaska, all are invited to the dedication of Lezlie Jane‘s newest work, previewed here on Monday.
DESIGN REVIEW FOR 6058 35TH SW: 6:30 pm at the Sisson Building/Senior Center, the Southwest Design Review Board takes another look at this two-building mixed-use project – details and the newest design packet are here. (California SW/SW Oregon)
TWEEN THURSDAY AT THE Y: 6:30-8 pm, fun and games for grades 3-7 during the West Seattle YMCA (WSB sponsor) “Tween Thursdays” – all welcome, membership not required. Details here. (4515 36th SW)
LIVE/WORK IN/NEAR WHITE CENTER? 7 pm, the North Highline Unincorporated Area Council meets at NH Fire District HQ. As previewed on our partner site White Center Now, the agenda includes education equity and septic systems. (1243 SW 112th)
‘ADDAMS FAMILY’ AT WSHS: 7:30 pm, your second-to-last chance to cheer the student performers and musicians putting on this musical version of “The Addams Family,” at the West Seattle High School Theater. Ticket info here. (3000 California SW)
LOOKING FOR SOMETHING ELSE? Check our complete calendar!
(LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON: We’ve published a followup here)
2:21 AM: Now another big Seattle Fire response – this time for a crash in the 6800 block of Highland Park Way, at least one person reported to be trapped, and at least one person is reported to be undergoing CPR.
2:26 AM: Per scanner, two people are dead – “one in each car.” Original report suggested this might have started as pursuit of a stolen car. We’re headed to the scene.
2:54 AM: The crash is on “the hill” – which is blocked off at both ends, near Holden at the top, West Marginal Way SW on the bottom; the vehicles are closer to the latter, which is where we and the other media crews are being “staged,” out of camera range but our photographer reports it appears the vehicles are on the uphill side, past Pioneer Industries, one in the road and one in the shrubbery off the road. The Traffic Collision Investigation team is on the way, which means the closure will be for hours.
4:08 AM: Police have confirmed that two people were killed, and that they were trying to stop one of the vehicles before the crash, but they are not going into details of whether it was a “pursuit.” They also tell us the investigation is likely to keep the Highland Park Way hill between Holden and W. Marginal closed for at least three hours.
5:17 AM: Metro has just sent an alert about Route 131 being routed off this section of Highland Park Way. This is the third major crash on the hill in a little over one month – on March 14th, two cars collided close to the same spot as this morning’s incident, and one flipped; that was just 10 days after the flipped-car crash that broke a natural-gas line and forced 150 nearby residents to evacuate.
5:53 AM: The Medical Examiner has arrived.
No information so far on the victims’ identities, not even ages/genders. Police have continued to keep media at the bottom of the hill. Also, no update on an estimated road-reopening time, but we’re still at the scene so we’ll be able to get the information directly as soon as there’s an update.
6:08 AM: Route 131 is using Highland Park Way again. We talked with the Metro rep on scene who says the buses are using the outside downhill lane, but otherwise the hill is NOT yet open to regular traffic. Seattle Fire Ladder 11 has been summoned, likely for scene cleanup before the road’s fully reopened. And if you’re in this area and seeing/hearing a helicopter, it’s TV (which otherwise has a full complement of ground crews).
6:25 AM: Buses are being rerouted again for a while; Ladder 11 has arrived.
Still no new information about the crash itself, not even which way the vehicles were traveling when they collided (they are both on the uphill/southwestbound side, but that doesn’t mean they started there).
7:49 AM: The Medical Examiner, Traffic Collision Investigation team, and Ladder 11 are all gone. We and other media have been allowed up the hill to photograph the wrecked cars.
But we’re told it still might be another hour-plus before the road reopens, because the vehicles must be towed and debris swept up.
8:26 AM: We finally had to leave the scene so this is via scanner: Eastbound (downhill) HP Way reopening. Westbound still awaiting some final cleanup.
8:39 AM: And it’s just been announced that the sweeper’s done and the road will be open both ways. Again, we have very little information about the crash itself and will be working to get more from police as the day goes on.
ADDED 10:15 AM: Published on SPD Blotter:
Traffic Collision detectives are investigating after a man in a carjacked vehicle fled from police early Thursday and crashed into another vehicle in the (Highland Park) neighborhood, killing both drivers.
The incident began with an armed carjacking shortly before 11 PM Wednesday in the 1500 block of South State Street, where three suspects stole a man’s 2002 Honda Accord at gunpoint and fled.
Around 2 AM, an officer on patrol in West Seattle saw the Honda, occupied by one man, near the Southwest Precinct and began following behind while radioing for additional units. When additional officers arrived, the officer activated her emergency lights in an attempt to pull over the Honda.
The suspect fled from police at high speed and collided with another vehicle in the 6800 block of Highland Park Way SW. The other car was driven by an adult male. The officers attempted to provide life-saving aid to both drivers of the two vehicles and called for Seattle Fire Department medics.
Unfortunately, both drivers died at the scene.
Detectives from SPD’s Traffic Collision Investigation Squad are processing the collision scene and have recovered a handgun from the carjacked vehicle. Robbery Unit detectives are also investigating the initial carjacking incident.
The department’s Pursuit Review Board will conduct a review of the incident following the completion of the investigation.
4:43 PM: We have just published a followup with dashcam video SPD has released from the pursuit that preceded the crash (ending as the officer arrives at the crash scene) and other new information. See it here.
If you heard the sirens in the past quarter-hour or so – a “fire in single-family residence” response was sent to a house in the 10600 block of 34th SW [map]. It turned out to be on the porch of a vacant house, according to emergency-radio traffic, and a neighbor put it out, so most of the response has been dismissed.
It’s the type of theft that thieves hope you won’t notice – taking one or both of your license plates. They might even leave a replacement behind. We heard from a plate-theft victim on Wednesday night:
We had the rear license plate of one of our cars stolen sometime (Tuesday) night. We have reported it to the police. L.P. is AZL3335. We are on 48th between Andover and Dakota. … The sad part is we had just, literally, put the plates on the car last night!
We had some interesting info on this crime category in this late-2014 Crime Watch report.
In a home game this afternoon, the Chief Sealth International High School baseball team beat Roosevelt, 5-4, and will play them again Friday. Thanks to head coach Ernest Policarpio for the box score – Evan Moe got the win for the Seahawks, with 7 innings and 6 strikeouts; standouts on offense included Kyle Flora going one for three with 3 RBI, and Miles Hoffman going two for three with an RBI. Sealth faces Roosevelt again at 3:30 pm Friday, this time at Lower Woodland. The Seahawks’ full season schedule and results so far can be seen here.
Baseball season around here, of course, means much more than the M’s – here’s another reason to cheer for your local youth leagues: Thanks to Coach Sean for sending the photo of the West Seattle Little League‘s first-ever all-girl coach-pitch team, the Rockford Peaches. (Named after a championship-winning all-woman pro-baseball team of the 1940s and 1950s.) He says they’re 6-8 years old, they play all-boy teams, and “are the talk of the town.” You’re invited to cheer them on, with upcoming games including:
Friday, April 8th, 5 pm, at Bar S (Alki Point) vs. the Thunderbirds
Saturday, May 14th, 5:30 pm, Alki Playfield, vs. the Evergreens
Saturday, May 21st, 6 pm, Alki Playfield, vs. the Grays
The full schedule is on the WSLL website; the coach recommends the Friday game because it’s “their only game at Bar-S and the weather is supposed to be awesome!”
(Photo tweeted this afternoon by @wsferries)
A special delivery will be heading to Vigor on Harbor Island tonight. Here’s the announcement from Washington State Ferries:
Ferry commuters are one step closer to a more reliable system as Washington State Ferries celebrates a major milestone for the Chimacum, the fleet’s third Olympic Class vessel. The Chimacum’s 1,110 ton superstructure, which took 18 months to construct at Nichols Brothers Boat Builders on Whidbey Island, will transit to Seattle tonight, Wednesday, April 6.
The announcement continues after the jump: Read More
(2012 WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli, from original pad-replacement work beneath the bridge)
As we first reported back in January, dozens of nighttime closures are ahead for the Fauntleroy Expressway end of the West Seattle Bridge, as SDOT begins the year-delayed re-replacement of 600+ earthquake-safety bearing pads.
This afternoon, the city announced that the first closure is expected to be the night of April 25th. Read on for the rest of the announcement:
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