West Seattle, Washington
30 Sunday
9:16 PM: Another crash to report – this time at 4th and Roxbury (Olson vicinity), and our first tipster tells us roads are blocked. It’s a “heavy rescue” call, which means a major SFD response too. More to come.
9:20 PM: The location’s been updated on the 911 log to Olson/Myers.
9:37 PM: The SFD response has closed out, but we don’t have an update yet on the detour situation.
2 car MVA at Pigeon Point 22nd Av Sw/21st Av Sw 1 pt declined treatment 2nd driver fled scene pic.twitter.com/Bvh7De0Gva
— Seattle Fire Dept (@SeattleFire) November 8, 2014
If you heard/saw the big callout to the 4700 block of 21st SW (map) – that’s what it’s all about – a two-car crash with one driver reported to be on the run, according to the Seattle Fire tweet. The road’s blocked in the area, so stay away if you have to head out.
(Added: WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli)
11:45 PM: Tow crews are already at the scene, so it should clear before long.
(First two WSB photos by Tracy Record)
4:40 AM: At least two people are hurt – one seriously – after a crash at 60th/Admiral. One texter says Admiral’s blocked off. We’re en route to find out more.
5:08 AM: This is a one-car rollover. 19-year-old woman driving, very seriously hurt. Passenger hurt too. TCIS is coming, police told us at the scene, so Admiral will be closed here a while; on the east side, it is blocked at 59th. Lots of debris in the road, as shown in our short Instagram clip panning the scene (and photo below). Police are investigating whether alcohol was a factor.
The car ended up on its side in the planting strip on the south side of Admiral (top photo).
5:58 AM: Metro just texted its reroutes caused by the Admiral Way closure: “Routes 50 and 56 are currently routed off Admiral … Use stops east of 59th SW or west of 61st SW.” (added) The 775 Water Taxi shuttle reroute: “Use stops on SW Admiral Way east of 59th or on Alki SW east of 61st.”
7:48 AM: Still closed. We’ll update here and the daily traffic watch as soon as it reopens.
(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
8:53 AM: Just back from checking the scene. A tow truck driver had arrived and was doing some cleanup; SPD has been calling for SDOT to do more.
10:10 AM: According to our crew back at the scene, Admiral is reopening, after further cleanup by SDOT and SFD.
10:21 AM: And Metro has just sent a text alert that its routes in that area are back to normal.
3:55 PM: Avoid 8th/Roxbury for a while if you’re heading out – a crash is blocking at least part of the intersection. No word yet on injuries or other circumstances; we’re en route to check.
4:06 PM: Won’t be blocked for too long, per scanner – tow trucks have been called. Northbound Metro on 8th is affected for a bit, though.
4:30 PM: The tow trucks were there when our crew arrived a short time ago. One lane on Roxbury was blocked eastbound, and 8th was blocked pending removal of the cars. No injuries, we’re told.
12:50 PM: The westbound lanes of the Fauntleroy end of the bridge are blocked by the crash in the photo (thanks to Phillip for sending it) – a vehicle pickup truck gone sideways. More to come.
1:03 PM: We’re looking at the scene from the pedestrian overpass nearby. Westbound blocked, one lane open eastbound. Ambulance at the scene; Seattle Fire has cleared.
1:23 PM: Traffic is being routed around the scene on the right, as shown on the nearby SDOT camera. A commenter says the people in the pickup were OK; we’re checking with SFD regarding whether anyone was taken to the hospital.
1:33 PM: Pickup’s being towed. (And a few minutes later, via scanner: “Bridge open both ways.”)
5:39 PM: According to Seattle Fire spokesperson Kyle Moore, both people in the pickup – both in their 20s – were taken to hospitals with minor injuries.
3:55 PM: Seattle Fire is sending a “rope rescue” response for what might be a window washer in trouble on a building in the 4800 block of California SW. You might hear/see a TV helicopter shortly, too. More to come.
3:58 PM: Per scanner, the window washer is reported to be OK on a 4th-floor balcony, so some of the SFD units are being canceled.
4:06 PM: The last SFD units were leaving as we arrived – all’s well, incident over.
(WSB photo, substituted for cameraphone photo that was originally published)
8:11 PM: Big Seattle Fire/Police response on the way to Sylvan Way/SW Morgan in High Point, for a reported two-car crash, with one car on fire, and people reported to be trapped in the other car. More to come.
8:22 PM: Two people are reported to be injured – one seriously. The scene is just east of Neighborhood House’s High Point Center at Sylvan/Lanham, on the westbound side of the road. The more-seriously hurt patient will be taken to the hospital by SFD medic unit, the other by private ambulance. Police are investigating the possibility of DUI.
8:38 PM: Eastbound lanes will be reopened soon, police are saying, while westbound will be closed a while. The crash involved a Honda Pilot and Subaru Forester (the latter is the one that caught fire, and is in the foreground of our top photo). At this point, the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad is *not* being called out, which indicates they expect both people to survive. A 128 bus was having some trouble getting through the area a few minutes ago, so if you rely on that route, you might seem some delays.
9:34 PM: SPD just announced via emergency radio that Sylvan is open again, both ways.
10:08 PM: Just published to SFD’s Fire Line website, a summary identifying the Subaru’s driver as a 26-year-old man who was pulled, unconscious, from the burning vehicle by a Good Samaritan before fire crews arrived. He was “alert, oriented and conscious when medics transported him to Harborview Medical Center,” SFD reports. The driver of the Honda Pilot is described only as male; he’s the one who was taken to the hospital by private ambulance, indicating less-serious injuries.
California SW is at least partly blocked between Oregon and Alaska in The Junction right now because of that multiple-car crash. At least one person is hurt, though the injuries aren’t likely major – a private ambulance is at the scene. Not sure how long it’ll take to clear, but if you’re headed that way, you’ll want to detour onto 42nd or 44th.
WSB’s Katie Meyer is at the scene and says the white car in the photo above this line was reported to be U-turning when the black car (top photo) collided with it.
If you’re headed toward or away from Highway 509, note that Seattle Fire and Police are currently at a crash scene at Olson/1st (map). SFD says a 31-year-old man was taken to the hospital in “stable condition” after crashing his car into a pole. Also per SFD, the car caught fire and bystanders rescued the man from it. Officers have called for an SDOT crew to come clean up fluid on the roadway.
2:40 PM: In case you’ve noticed another significant Seattle Fire response, on the northbound side of 35th at Raymond – fire crews are here because there’s a smell of smoke inside the High Point Medical Clinic, but they haven’t found the source yet.
2:46 PM: Nothing found, and units are leaving.
(Ford at right is the suspect’s car; at left, parked car that was hit)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 10:27 PM: A driver is in custody, under investigation for DUI, after a multiple-scene crash north of Morgan Junction.
(Taxicab that was hit, ending up on southbound California)
First scene was on the southbound side of California just south of SW Raymond (map), where the suspect is reported to have hit a cab, then driven eastbound on SW Raymond, going over a traffic circle, and coming to a stop after hitting a parked car on Raymond between 42nd and 41st.
(Traffic circle, with shrubbery torn out when car went over it)
Police, fire, and witnesses all tell us no one was hurt; witnesses say the allegedly intoxicated driver stayed at the second scene and seemed aware of what he had done. SFD has cleared the scene but it might take a while for the wrecked cars to be cleared on Raymond; the taxi on California is already gone. Thanks to everyone who texted and tweeted about this.
UPDATE, 5:49 PM SUNDAY: The driver, 39 years old, spent five and a half hours in jail before getting out this morning; his bail was $1,000.
(Above, building at Fog-Tite where accident happened)
11:25 AM: Seattle firefighters are at another “heavy rescue” call, this time in the 4800 block of West Marginal Way (map). SFD says it involves “man who has his arm trapped in cement mixer,” and they’ve extricated the patient. We hear from Cathy that traffic is getting by both ways; the emergency equipment is on the southbound side, so take care if you’ll be using W. Marginal in that area any time soon.
12:06 PM: Our crew reports that a 34-year-old man got his arm stuck in a cement-mixer auger; SFD used heavy-rescue tools to free him, over the course of about 15 minutes, and he was taken to Harborview Medical Center. SFD units have now left the scene; we got a quick briefing there from spokesperson Kyle Moore, and will add video when it’s uploaded. the video is above.
9:01 AM: Moving this over from our morning traffic watch: Seattle Fire is on the scene of a crash described as a car hitting a building in the 7900 block of 9th SW (map). Everyone got out of the car OK, SFD reports, but it hit the gas meter, so they’re calling in Puget Sound Energy.
9:04 AM: Our crew at the scene reports the aforementioned gas leak is very noticeable in the immediate area – so stay clear of there for now. No major traffic effects, though. This happened at an auto-repair shop at 9th/Kenyon.
9:22 AM: Replaced our original photo with a wider view showing the scene – the black car with the open doors is the one that hit the building, and it’s since been pulled out:
Also, PSE has shut off the gas, and the SFD crews will be pulling back too.
(Added: WSB photo)
6:14 AM: Emergency responders are arriving in the 4000 block of 42nd SW on a “heavy rescue” call that involves a flipped car, according to someone who called us (thank you).
6:19 AM: Some of the units have been canceled – the person in the vehicle, reported to be on its side, got out without having to be cut out. No word on injuries yet; our crew is en route.
6:34 AM: Just added a photo. The car – reported to be owned by a rental company – is up on the sidewalk, and police are trying to figure out how that happened. Its driver is being taken to the hospital by private ambulance. Police say he told them he was westbound and remembers hitting the traffic island just before the car landed on the sidewalk on the north side of Dakota, a few houses east of California. No traffic effects now but once a tow truck arrives, that will cause some 42nd/Dakota logistics challenges for a bit.
8:42 AM: Car’s gone, scene clear.
7:13 PM: … That’s what the big response is for. Two people hurt, but neither lost consciousness, per scanner.
7:22 PM: We are at the scene. Two people were on the motorcycle, both taken to the hospital by private ambulance. The crash scene is on Holden west of 16th, at the 7-11 driveway. No life-threatening injuries. It’s suspected the collision happened because the sun got in everybody’s eyes, police told us.
7:39 PM: Added a photo. At top, police officers and firefighters were cleaning up the scene, including lifting up the motorcycle, awaiting a tow truck. SFD says the people taken to the hospital were the 50-year-old man driving the motorcycle and 50-year-old woman who was his passenger.
If you’re picking up a student at Chief Sealth International High School – where classes are ending for the day – it’ll be more difficult than usual to navigate the parking lot/dropoff zone, where you’ll see police cars, a fire engine, an ambulance, and a tow truck. That’s because of what’s in the photos – a car that somehow wound up on the embankment between the parking lot and the exit driveway alongside the auditorium.
Thanks to the person who texted to let us know about this and shared the top photo; at the scene, police told us the car was driven by a student, who wasn’t hurt, but had passengers who were still being checked.
3:53 PM: Big Seattle Fire response on the way to the 2800 block of Alki Avenue SW, for a report of a swimmer possibly in trouble.
3:57 PM: A swimmer has been spotted but first crews on scene says s/he does NOT appear to be in trouble, so they’re canceling most of the units. SFD is also turning back the fireboat they were starting to send through the Ballard Locks.
(Photos by WSP Sgt. Courtney Stewart)
1:34 AM: More West Seattle Bridge exit ramp trouble. This time, a motorcycle has crashed and both people riding it are hurt. It happened at the exit to southbound I-5 on the east end of the bridge. The State Patrol says one person is in critical condition, one in serious condition, and the exit is closed.
1:45 AM: Update from WSP via Twitter: The motorcycle’s driver has died. The passenger is still described as in serious condition and was taken to Harborview Medical Center.
5:08 AM: WSP says the passenger’s life was saved by netting:
Update: passenger of motorcycle was ejected and landed on netting, which saved her. DOT placed netting to prevent… pic.twitter.com/aKxYGOd9pm
— Trooper Chris Webb (@wspd2pio) August 27, 2014
to prevent debris from landing below the freeway.
— Trooper Chris Webb (@wspd2pio) August 27, 2014
The ramp is now open again.
ADDED 9:45 AM: According to the WSP “media memo” with additional information, the man who was killed was 32 years old and from Kent; the woman who survived is 22 and from Puyallup. WSP’s preliminary investigation information in the same e-mail says the motorcycle “took exit ramp to southbound I-5 and failed to negotiate curve, ejected driver and passenger, and came to rest in (the) roadway.”
12:32 PM: Seattle Fire crews are at a condominium building in the 5000 block of California SW on the south end of The Junction for a “fire in building” call. The street is shut down at the scene.
They’re finding light smoke but still looking for its source. More shortly.
12:46 PM: Our crew on scene has talked to the incident commander, who says the fire was traced to a dryer. No injuries. California SW shouldn’t be closed too much longer, maybe 20 minutes or so.
(WSB photo by Katie Meyer)
12:42 AM: Police are closing the southbound side of Fauntleroy Way SW right now in the Fairmount Playfield area, between Dawson and Brandon (map), because of what we’re told is a flipped-car crash. At least one person is hurt, described as a woman in her 30s.
12:59 AM: Adding photos. Police say the woman has been taken to the hospital; the car is on its side, and officers are awaiting a tow truck to clear it away. Witnesses tell us a parked car was also hit. (added) Second photo from WSB’s Katie Meyer actually shows at least two parked cars damaged.
6:59 AM: Seattle Fire units are arriving at a possible house fire in the 4800 block of 25th SW [map]. More to come.
7:07 AM: It was declared “tapped” relatively quickly. Via scanner, crews are reporting it as a “room fire” and saying two people were home at the time, both of whom got out OK.
7:29 AM: The fire is out and firefighters are leaving. Police are on scene investigating what was described via scanner traffic as an apparent (marijuana) “grow op.”
7:56 AM: City Light is on scene too; fire and police are continuing to investigate.
8:24 AM: SFD says the fire was started by a wiring problem, with damage confined to a “back bedroom” and estimated at $15,000. The SFD report says police are investigating “items found in the basement of the home.” Our crew, still on scene, says that the remaining fire crew is pulling material away from one corner of the back of the house (photo added above), apparently to check for anything still smoldering.
ORIGINAL 2:52 PM REPORT: Seattle Fire crews are headed to a house-fire call at 26th and Trenton. Details to come.
2:58 PM UPDATE: This has now changed to a fire off 26th SW near Thistle (map), further north than first reported. It’s a small fire, reported to be out, possibly set. Most of the units have been dismissed.
3:31 PM UPDATE: The fire was set in a bush in a residential neighborhood east of Southwest Athletic Complex – dangerously close to homes.
5:01 PM UPDATE: SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore tells us investigators determined it was accidental – “improperly discarded smoking materials” are blamed; a nearby resident put it out with a garden hose before firefighters arrived.
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