West Seattle, Washington
28 Tuesday
10:16 PM: Seattle Fire and Police are on the way to what’s described by dispatchers as a “rollover” crash on the railroad tracks in the 3800 block of West Marginal Way [map] Updates to come.
10:20 PM: Firefighters arriving at the scene report everyone’s out of the vehicle, no major injuries, so the response is being downsized. Now the challenge is to notify BNSF that there’s a vehicle on the tracks.
8:48 AM: Thanks to Bill Schrier for the photo, and to others for the tips. That car-on-side crash happened on California at Stevens, by West Seattle High School. We’re told no one is seriously hurt. SFD initially dispatched a large response; all but one unit was canceled literally one minute later, according to the incident log, and that one left the scene after 14 minutes.
9:30 AM: Scene is clear.
10:44 AM: SFD tells us the driver was a 36-year-old woman who was treated at the scene and declined to be transported to a hospital.
6:06 PM: Police and fire are at the scene of a motorcycle crash on Harbor Avenue. They are blocking Harbor at Don Armeni. We just arrived to find out more.
6:16 PM: The motorcycle rider has been taken to Harborview. We are told he hit a pole outside a condo building on the south/eastbound side of the street. Traffic is being detoured through Don Armeni.
7:08 PM: Commenter reports the road has reopened. We have a message out following up on the rider’s condition.
ADDED THURSDAY MORNING: The police summary released today says that “an individual was test driving a motorcycle, without a helmet, at speeds of 70 + MPH, on Harbor Av SW. He was also weaving in and out of traffic. Eventually the motorcyclist struck a vehicle and flew 80-feet onto the roadway. He suffered injuries to his head and to his body. Seattle Fire reported he was, “somewhat stable” and had him rushed to HMC via a medic unit.”
8:36 PM: Police and fire are responding to what’s reported to be a flipped-car crash in the 3000 block of SW Avalon Way. It was reported as an SUV car that flipped after hitting a parked car. Updates to come.
8:41 PM: SFD describes it as a vehicle on its side with one person trapped. Avalon is closed at the scene.
9:08 PM: Thanks to Sarah for the photo above. The person in the vehicle is out and being taken to hospital via AMR ambulance.
9:33 PM: We noted on arrival that the vehicle that went on its side is a commercial vehicle, marked for Signal Security. We’re following up with SFD regarding the victim’s condition.
9:56 PM: SFD says the 19-year-old driver was in stable condition when transported. Metro has sent an advisory saying bus service on Avalon is back to normal, which indicates the street has reopened.
3:11 PM: This is all unfolding right now – early info from scanner: Police were tracking a car on West Marginal Way when its driver got into a crash by Highland Park Way and carjacked another driver, with shots fired in the process. No injuries reported so far but the driver (and possibly an accomplice) may have bolted from the second vehicle nearby – it’s described as a black 2012 Ford Raptor. Updates as we get them.
(SDOT camera image)
3:17 PM: Northbound West Marginal is blocked at Highland Park Way because of all this.
3:25 PM: Our crew is arriving in the area and first report is that, needless to say, there’s a huge traffic backup.
3:34 PM: If you’re in the area and seeing a helicopter, that’s the shared TV-news chopper, not law enforcement. Meantime, the suspects who fled are still at large. We only caught part of the descriptions – white male and female; he was wearing glasses.
3:46 PM: Here’s what the suspects were in before the crash and carjacking:
(WSB photo)
3:55 PM: The carjacked vehicle has been found on Puget Ridge, empty. Police told dispatch that witnesses saw 4 suspects get out of it.
4:02 PM: Meantime, the northbound lanes of West Marginal are still closed for cleanup – this is what happened after the Expedition driver hit another vehicle pre-carjacking:
4:23 PM: SDOT and SPD report NB West Marginal has just reopened.
7:59 PM: SPD Blotter has the police account of what happened, including why the original vehicle containing the suspects – the trailer-towing SUV – came to their attention in the first place. They also confirm that the carjacked Ford Raptor was indeed recovered. No arrests reported so far.
7:59 PM: SFD has sent a “scenes of violence” response to a report of a possible shooting victim in the 2500 block of Harbor Avenue SW. Police are there investigating. Updates to come.
8:02 PM: So far officers are telling dispatch that this appears to be unfounded – a report of a “flash” was instead a motorcyclist clipping an RV and causing sparks. (added) The SFD response has been canceled.
(Image from SDOT traffic camera)
1:25 PM: Thanks for the tip. Police and SFD are at the scene of a flipped-car crash on the westbound side of SW Roxbury at 15th. Texter says everyone got out OK, which is why there was no big “rescue extrication” callout. Updates to come.
1:38 PM: We’re told at the scene that one woman is being taken to the hospital via AMR ambulance, which means her injuries weren’t life-threatening. No sign of another vehicle involved, but we can’t find out for sure as no other information is available on the circumstances – the only officer left at the scene is there for traffic control while they await a tow truck. An SDOT incident-response truck is there now, and westbound traffic continues routing around via one inside lane.
2:04 PM: The scene is clear and all lanes have reopened, as shown on the SDOT camera. Meantime, commenter Courtney has an eyewitness report.
10:38 PM: Police and fire have responded to the 4500 block of 40th SW (and a scene on 38th SW too) for what was initially reported as some kind of assault in which the suspect was stabbed by his alleged victim. A “scenes of violence” SFD callout is now arriving for the person who was stabbed, and there’s a dispatch for the other person too. That’s all we’ve heard so far.
10:55 PM: As also observed by a scanner-listening commenter, this one remains convoluted at best – but the original person who called police apparently knew the person he reportedly stabbed.
11:07 AM SUNDAY: While we still don’t have information on the circumstances, we were able to find out from SFD that the injured person at the 38th scene is a man in his mid-twenties taken to Harborview in stable condition with injuries reported as a stabbing, while from the other scene, a man in his late 20s was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, “reported as assault.”
ADDED MONDAY: Police say this was a domestic-violence incident.
(Added: WSB photos)
10:21 PM: A police and fire response has shut down California/Findlay. Police are looking for a vehicle involved in a reported hit-run, described as a white Subaru hatchback with front-end damage. More as we get it.
10:27 PM: Police say a pedestrian is injured.
10:54 PM: Police now say the person did not survive. (added) The victim is the second pedestrian hit and killed in West Seattle this year, after a 64-year-old woman who died after being hit near 2nd SW and Highland Park Way on March 25th.
11:39 PM: We’ve just talked at the scene with SPD spokesperson Det. Valerie Carson. She says the victim, a man, died at the scene, and that he and two other people had just been dropped off by someone and were crossing California at Findlay west to east when hit. She also says the hit-run driver has since returned to the scene and is being questioned by officers. The road is likely to be closed for a few more hours as the investigation continues.
12 MIDNIGHT: Here’s our video of what Det. Carson said at the scene:
One more note – though Det. Carson wouldn’t comment on a vehicle description, subsequent scanner traffic suggests it may have been a different type of vehicle from what was initially broadcast. We’ll be following up as the case proceeds.
1:22 AM: Police have reopened the road.
1:57 AM: A few additional details from what was just posted on SPD Blotter – that the collision happened midblock, and that the driver “showed no sign of impairment.”
11:22 AM: While the victim’s name has not been released, SFD said he was in his thirties.
ADDED MONDAY: We confirmed with SPD today that the driver was not arrested, pending further investigation. … As posted in comments below, a GoFundMe crowdfunding page on behalf of the victim’s widow identifies him as Nicholas Wolf.
5:48 PM: Emergency-radio exchanges indicate the missing woman with dementia has been found, in south Admiral, and appears to be OK (but will be taken to a hospital just to be safe). Someone saw her and called in.
EARLIER:
10:10 AM: SFD has a large response on a “trench rescue” call in Schmitz Park. They’ve reported that the “patient is extricated.” SFD says the original report was of a “child stuck in a mud hole.” Updates to come.
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli)
10:27 AM: We’re told the child is OK – just took a fall during a field trip into the park.
11:01 AM: We have a lot of followup questions out on this and will add the answers as we get them.
11:37 AM: SFD spokesperson Hilton Almond summarizes what happened: “Firefighters rescued a four-year-old male from a mud hole. He was stuck up to his hips, which required a couple of firefighters to pull him out. He sustained no injuries and his mother picked him up.” She verifies in a comment that he’s OK. It was a learning experience for all:
12:26 PM: Seattle Parks spokesperson Rachel Schulkin tells us, “Staff are out there today evaluating if anything can be fixed or needs to be blocked off for a time.”
9:40 PM: A car and pickup truck have collided at 21st/Roxbury, and Seattle Fire has sent a “rescue extrication” response. Two people were reported trapped in the car; one has been extricated, and they’re working to get the other one out. Roxbury is blocked both ways.
9:54 PM: That’s the view from the 15th/Roxbury traffic camera. Three people are reported hurt, between the two vehicles. Firefighters have told dispatch this was a “high-speed head-on” crash.
10 PM: The second trapped person has been removed from the car, firefighters have told dispatch.
10:14 PM: The three injured people are all being taken to the hospital. SFD says they are in “stable condition” and says the truck driver is a 41-year-old woman, the car driver is a 43-year-old man, and the car passenger is a 45-year-old man. Added photo above, taken by a person who was on the scene helping even before emergency crews arrived.
2:30 AM: Police just reopened Roxbury – the scene has finally cleared.
ADDED 12:19 PM FRIDAY: From the SPD summary:
A Dodge Dakota pickup truck was travelling eastbound on SW Roxbury St nearing 21 Av SW. At the same time, a black VW Jetta was traveling westbound on SW Roxbury nearing 21 Av SW. According to a witness, the truck crossed the centerline and struck the sedan head on. The male driver and male passenger of the sedan suffered multiple broken bones and had to be extricated from the vehicle. The female driver of the errant truck suffered facial injuries.
All three were transported to Harborview Medical Center.
3:26 PM: Big Seattle Fire “rescue extrication” response is headed to a crash scene at 8th and Roxbury [map], with one car reported to be “on fire.” Avoid the area. Updates to come.
(Added: WSB photos)
3:32 PM: No one’s trapped, so the response is being reduced slightly, but traffic is still being blocked around the scene, including on the unincorporated-area side south of the intersection. Three people are reported hurt, none with life-threatening injuries.
3:43 PM: Photo added above. That’s the southeast corner of 8th/Roxbury.
3:48 PM: Added another photo. Seattle and King County responders are both working on this. SPD has 8th closed about half a block north, KCSO has it closed about half a block south, and Roxbury is closed at the intersection. Of the injured people, two – male and female – were taken by medic unit to Harborview, while the third with less-serious injuries, male, was taken to a hospital by private ambulance. Investigators are still sorting out how this happened.
5 PM: Metro says buses are back to their regular routing on Roxbury, which indicates the intersection has at least partly reopened.
1:47 PM: A big SFD response is headed to Harbor Island Marina (1001 SW Klickitat Way, alongside the West Seattle Bridge). So far it’s described as a docked boat “taking on water.” Updates to come.
1:53 PM: Crews on scene have told dispatch that an 80-foot tugboat is “close to the water line” so they’re investigating whether it’s actually taking on water.
1:57 PM: They’ve found no evidence of that. The tugboat sits low when full of fuel, and it’s currently full of fuel, crews have reported to dispatch. But now they’re investigating a Coast Guard report that a different vessel might be taking on water at a “different terminal.”
2:06 PM: No evidence of that, so units are being dismissed. As for the original tug, one SFD responder radioed that fuel’s down to $3.40 a gallon so they just filled up with 40,000 gallons worth.
2:36 PM: Joe sent a photo of the fuel-laden, low-sitting tug.
Thanks for the tips about a large emergency response by Roxbury Lanes. Responders on the scene tell us a man was walking at the south end of the bowling alley/casino parking lot when a driver hit him. The victim is being taken to the hospital for evaluation, but his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. The driver is being questioned by deputies.
5:35 PM: Seattle Fire is arriving at 20th/Trenton [map] for what was dispatched as a flipped-car crash. Two people are reported to be hurt. Avoid the area.
5:49 PM: Photo added. Our crew says no one is seriously hurt. (added) We’re told the driver was trying to navigate past the parked truck shown in the wider view of the scene, below:
The scene is actually on 20th.
1:41 AM: Another big Seattle Fire dispatch – this time headed for a report of a possible fire at Beach Drive and Jacobsen Road. Updates to come.
(Added: Video sent by Ann)
1:44 AM: First crews on scene say smoke is visible from a house.
1:51 AM: The address is now the 4700 block of Beach Drive. “Water on the fire,” a firefighter just told his colleagues and dispatch. … And a minute later, they’ve reported the fire is under control.
1:54 AM: They’ve just checked the house’s basement and report smoke and flames there.
1:59 AM: They’ve also found fire “in the walls.” No word of injuries so far.
2:12 AM: The fire’s out; no one was inside, firefighters report. If the revised address on the SFD log is correct, this is the house just south of Emma Schmitz Overlook that was the former Quesnel’s Restaurant decades ago. It’s now on the books as a duplex.
2:28 AM: Some units are being dismissed. The cause is under investigation.
2:39 AM: Beach Drive Blog‘s photo confirms it is the former Quesnel’s.
3 AM: BDB now says it’s 4701 Beach Drive, not 4703 as logged by SFD. Meanwhile, we’ve added video above, sent by Ann.
10:08 AM: SFD spokesperson Kristin Tinsley tells WSB, “Fire investigators ruled the fire as ‘accidental,’ caused by electrical failure/overheating involving the refrigerator power supply or refrigerator itself; ignited nearby combustibles.”
9:58 PM: A “scenes of violence” response is headed to the 7700 block of 13th SW in Highland Park. SFD dispatch has told its crews it’s a “report of people being attacked with a machete.” More info when we get it.
10:01 PM: Police are on scene and have told dispatch they’re looking to see if they can find any victims.
10:03 PM: “No patients,” SFD dispatch has just told their crews. They’ve canceled the response.
(Added: Photo sent by Stewart L.)
6:28 PM: Seattle Fire had a big “rescue extrication” response on the way to a reported car-flip crash in the 1300 block of Harbor SW [map]. But the first crews on scene report no one is trapped, so they’re downgrading the response. Updates to come.
(Added: WSB photo)
6:54 PM: Our crew talked to police at the scene. They say the driver may have fallen asleep while driving. He is being taken to the hospital by private ambulance.
(Added: Photo sent by Stewart L.)
7:12 PM: Police say the street has reopened, after the car was turned back over and towed.
10:08 AM: Seattle Fire is sending a “rope rescue” response to Lincoln Park. SFD says someone fell “40 feet down a slope.” Updates to come.
10:27 AM: Took a while for our crew to find out where in the park this was happening. It’s toward the far north end. The incident commander tells us the person who fell is a woman and she seems to be not seriously hurt. They’re still working to bring her out.
(WSB photo)
10:38 AM: We’ve talked with firefighters above the rescue scene but the victim has just been brought down to crews on the shoreside road, according to emergency radio.
(Added: Texted photo)
She’ll be taken to Harborview.
8:10 PM: Big Seattle Fire response for Terminal 5 – the first crews to arrive are telling dispatch that someone has a head injury and needs to be pulled out from “inbetween cargo containers.”
8:19 PM: The victim is aboard the cargo ship that’s at Terminal 5 right now (that would be MSC Monterey). Radio exchanges indicate the firefighters are facing tricky logistics to get to him.
8:29 PM: They’ve told dispatch the victim is a 51-year-old man hit from above with a heavy object. He’s described as “alert and oriented.” They’re working toward being able to lift him off the ship. (added) The incident commander tells dispatch that may take another 20 minutes or so.
8:43 PM: Dispatch has just been told “patient extracted.” (added) SFD medics are taking the victim to Harborview.
2:30 PM: Seattle Fire is dispatching a “major water-rescue response” to 61st/Alki after the Coast Guard reported to them that “three or more paddleboarders are in distress.” This as the weather suddenly gets ugly again. Updates to come.
2:36 PM: They’re trying to get a better read on the location – the person(s) in trouble may be close to the state ferry Tacoma in Elliott Bay.
2:39 PM: An SFD boat has reached the three paddleboarders, and a boat from the ferry, and says they’re NOT in distress, so the response is being canceled.
3:39 PM: Just tweeted by Seattle Police, “911 seems to be down through the region. Please call the non-emergency line at 206-625-5011 for Seattle-based emergencies until it comes back online.”
4:11 PM: According to a text message from AlertSeattle, you also can call 206-583-2111. Texting 911 also seems to work. AlertSeattle says the problem is being worked on.
5:10 PM: Back up, say law-enforcement agencies, so you can use 911 again – but only if you really need to.
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