West Seattle, Washington
24 Monday
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
10:04 PM: Fire crews are at a residence in the 4500 block of 41st SW in The Junction for what they describe as a “tapped dryer fire.” But they’re also acknowledging there’s lots of “residual smoke.”
10:29 PM: WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli checked out the fire scene and reports no one was hurt; he saw SFD “haul the smoking dryer out of the house.”
(UPDATED late Sunday morning with new information from police)
12:45 AM: Police and fire are on the scene of a crash in the 4800 block of West Marginal Way SW and sounds from the scanner as if one person is dead at the scene. More to come.
12:54 AM UPDATE: Seattle Fire verifies via Twitter that one person is dead and another seriously hurt. This is reported to involve a vehicle hitting a tree at high speed.
1:45 AM UPDATE: Just back from checking the scene. West Marginal Way SW is closed in that area, as you’d expect, in the heart of the industrial zone on one side, greenbelt on the other. The car is small and reddish, and officers at the scene were referring to it as a Ford Focus.
3:30 AM UPDATE: Road’s still closed. We’re hoping for more information on the crash later this morning. Meantime, while the 911 log put the location as the 4800 block, comparing maps to the location we saw while out there, we would say it’s more in the early 5000s.
10:41 AM UPDATE: Just in from SPD Blotter:
On 10/13/13, just shortly after midnight, a vehicle was S/B on W. Marginal Wy in the 4800 block, at (according to a witness) a very high rate of speed.
The driver lost control and struck a tree, causing the vehicle to roll over several times. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. The passenger was taken to Harborview Medical Center by Seattle Fire Dept in critical condition. The collision was witnessed by a tow truck driver, who stated the vehicle was going over 100 MPH.
6:41 PM: We’ve just arrived at the scene of another crash on SW Roxbury – this time just east of the Safeway entrance. Two vehicles has collided, and one has some smoke coming from its engine compartment – so Engines 11 and 37 are both here along with police. The response has SW Roxbury completely blocked, so if you’re heading this way, you can’t get west of 26th or east of the store, for now.
6:48 PM UPDATE: No indication of serious injuries. We’re told the smoke might have been from one vehicle’s battery – extremely acrid-smelling, we can attest.
7:28 PM UPDATE: Per the scanner, police are now reopening Roxbury.
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
3:48 PM: And another crash that’s being investigated right now – a 6-year-old boy is reported to have been hurt, apparently hit by a car, at California/Lander, the Lafayette Elementary/Admiral Safeway/Hiawatha intersection. That’s all we know – we have a crew on the way.
3:57 PM: Per scanner, the child will be taken to a hospital. More police are headed to the scene to help get information from witnesses.
This is also likely to affect traffic for a while, so avoid the area.
4:32 PM: Southbound California was closed at the scene at last report, and northbound was down to one lane, per WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand. Photo added – though we haven’t confirmed whether the child was riding the bicycle you see in the photo or walking with it. Still trying to find out his condition, too.
4:44 PM: From the scene, WSB contributor Christopher Boffoli reports that traffic is now open both ways. Police told him the investigation is ongoing and they have not determined if the driver will be cited – they did say the driver remained at the scene afterward.
5:21 PM: We just got the first official comment on the child’s condition, from police via Twitter – “minor injuries.” Police confirm he was on his bicycle and describe the driver as a teenage girl.
5:36 PM: And we have heard back from SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore, who says that while the boy was taken to Harborview as a precaution, he had no visible injuries, and was stable when transported. He was wearing his helmet; his mom was with him, Moore said, but was not hurt.
9:05 AM: Thanks to those who tipped us to an operation in The Junction this morning involving King County Sheriff’s Deputies seen in the parking lot behind businesses in the 4700 block of California SW. A KCSO spokesperson at the scene told WSB that they are investigating possible “illegally obtained alcohol” and had a warrant to search Puerto Vallarta Restaurant. They are questioning “several people” but had not made any arrests as of the time we spoke with them. Deputies also are at a home about a block away. We are working to find out more and will add to this story as we get additional details.
10:22 AM UPDATE: We noted the presence of at least one Washington State Liquor Control Board agent at the scene, so we asked LCB spokesperson Brian Smith if his agency has any additional information. He says it’s a KCSO operation and they “are there at KCSO’s request to provide technical expertise.”
3:11 PM UPDATE: Update from KCSO spokesperson Sgt. Kathleen Larson, who we spoke with this morning at the scene; she provided an update via e-mail: “Today Detectives with the King County sheriff’s Office served a search warrant at the Puerto Vallarta Mexican restaurant in the 4700 block of California Ave. SW. The owner of the restaurant is suspected of buying alcohol stolen from local retail stores and using it in his business. The suspect is a 47 year old male. He was booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Trafficking in Stolen Property and Organized Retail Theft.” We also have confirmed that the house searched a block away is that of the restaurant’s owner. We don’t know yet what was found at the two locations, but we did note boxes being loaded into a law-enforcement van behind the restaurant earlier this afternoon.
FRIDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: The suspect, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, is being released from jail this afternoon, with a decision on charges or no charges to be made at a later date.
(Photo added 5:08 pm; by WSB co-publisher Patrick Sand)
3:49 PM: If you’ve noticed a big emergency response headed toward Harbor Avenue – it’s for a powerboat reported to be taking on water off Jack Block Park. Some of the responders have already been canceled, but others are continuing on. More as we get it.
3:55 PM UPDATE: Via scanner, the boat’s now been assessed as a 1960s-vintage wood boat, about 22 feet long, nobody on board, and they’re trying to figure out if it’s a “derelict vessel.” The fireboat Chief Seattle is on scene, per MarineTraffic.com; we have a crew headed that way. Scanner also indicates this is likely abandoned and the boat will be impounded if possible; the fireboat’s crew is reported to be doing a “stability survey.”
5:10 PM: If you’re wondering about the police response just east of Westwood Village – we’re heading over to check, but scanner traffic described it as an agitated man who had placed a crossbow on the hood of his car. The street on that side is, or was, blocked. No injuries reported.
5:35 PM UPDATE: Just back from checking it out. No details available at the scene but it was on the residential side of 25th SW east of Westwood, and the street was open; things were wrapping up. A private ambulance was there, but we don’t know who, if anyone, was transported.
SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE: Police have just summarized this in an SPD Blotter item:
… On 8/31/13, just shortly before 5:00 p.m., officers located the suspect with crossbow in hand. Rifle officers were able to convince him to place the weapon down and surrender. He had two arrows, one a plain metal tip and the other a razor steel hunting tip. An investigation revealed that the suspect was suffering from mental health issues. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center for an involuntary commitment. The 47-year-old suspect was verbally hostile and had to be placed in 4- point restraints to control him.
A witness confirmed to us that the man she saw in handcuffs was the man subsequently placed in the ambulance we mentioned seeing at the scene.
(WSB photo by Patrick Sand)
10:33 AM: Firefighters are reporting flames as they arrive at the scene of a house fire in the 3400 block of 44th SW (map). We’ll be there shortly.
10:44 AM UPDATE: No word of injuries so far. Firefighters have put out the call for investigative unit Marshal 5, which is standard operating procedure.
10:51 AM UPDATE: Firefighters tell our crew at the scene that this was a “small kitchen fire” and it’s now out. Nobody was home when it started. A neighbor saw the smoke and called 911.
12:48 PM UPDATE: One of the neighbors shares more in the comment section. Another one sent this photo of a dog that got out safely:
We’ll update here when there’s official information on the fire’s cause.
1:25 PM UPDATE: SFD says “overheated electrical wiring” caused the fire, and they’re “classifying (it) as an accidental fire.” Damage is estimated at $20,000; along with the dog shown above, another dog and a cat were rescued by firefighters, according to the SFD update on Fire Line.
10:02 AM: Though the 911 log says Roxbury/Olson, the big emergency response happening right now is some blocks west of there, according to our crew, near 12th SW. At first, it was thought a pedestrian might have been hit, but it’s been determined that a 40-year-old man, as described in radio communications, apparently became disoriented/ill and “wandered into traffic,” possibly a blood-sugar problem. County and city crews are on scene and the man is being taken to the hospital now, so the scene should clear before too long.
10:30 AM: Just verified with SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore – the victim basically “lay down in traffic,” and the location was 11th/Roxbury.
12:26 PM: A big response is headed for a house-fire call in the 7100 block of 34th SW. Crews on the scene are seeing light smoke, but “no sign of fire,” and some units are being canceled. We’re on our way – updates shortly.
12:37 PM UPDATE: Firefighters say it was a kitchen problem (assessed in fire-department terminology as “food on the stove”). They have ventilation going to clear out the resulting smoke. No injuries reported.
10:22 PM: On our way to check out what was initially dispatched as a “heavy rescue” at 16th and Trenton. At least one private ambulance has been called. More shortly.
10:45 PM UPDATE: As is frequently the case with “heavy rescue” calls, this one involved a flipped vehicle, one of two involved in a collision in the northbound lane of 16th SW just south of Trenton. Police have just reopened southbound 16th.
10:56 PM: Added two photos we took at the scene. One person is reported to have been taken to Harborview Medical Center. If we get any more info later tonight or tomorrow morning, we’ll add it here.
Just in case you saw the big initial Fire Department response – there was a “saltwater rescue” call in the 5000 block of Beach Drive just after 6:30, but it closed fairly quickly, since the people thought to be in trouble were both reported to be out of the water and fine.
Thanks to everyone who’s tipped us about a multiple-car crash on Delridge Way between Dakota and Genesee (including Dana, who sent the photo above). Our crew (who took the photo below) just arrived and tells us four vehicles were involved, with one person going to the hospital by private ambulance (which generally means non-life-threatening injuries).
It’s in the southbound lane, but traffic is getting around both days – just be ready for a slowdown in the area.
(NEWEST INFO: 1:53 am, police have just reopened Delridge)
9:37 PM: An incident with major police/fire response has Delridge blocked at Kenyon.
9:46 PM: Police at the scene say this is a two-vehicle crash and one person is dead at the scene. Two others have been taken to the hospital.
11:04 PM: The vehicle in our photo is one of the two involved, a Honda CR-V. A pickup truck is the other vehicle, and is up on the sidewalk about 50 feet south of the CR-V, according to the WSB crew that was at the scene. SPD Lt. Alan Williams reiterated at the scene that this is a collision involving two vehicles, no pedestrians. The Traffic Collision Investigation Squad is at the scene and that means this section of Delridge will be closed for at least a few more hours. It is their second investigation in West Seattle in less than 48 hours – they also investigated the deadly motorcycle/SUV crash in The Junction early Friday.
11:50 PM UPDATE: Police have just published an update on SPD Blotter, and they say the driver of one vehicle was drinking:
At approximately 9:11 p.m. officers responded to a 911 report of a two vehicle rollover collision in the 7900 block of Delridge Way SW. Preliminary investigation indicates that a Honda CRV was eastbound on SW Kenyon Street and was executing a left turn onto northbound Delridge Way SW when it was struck by a southbound Chevy pickup truck which subsequently overturned. An adult male who was riding in the bed of the pickup truck was ejected and pronounced dead at the scene by fire department medics.
The events leading up to the collision remain under active investigation.
The driver of the Honda, a male in his 50′s, was evaluated for signs of impairment due to alcohol and/or drugs. No impairment was detected. He was transported to Harborview Medical Center with minor injuries.
The driver of the Chevy truck, an adult male, was transported to Harborview Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. The front seat passenger of the Chevy truck, an adult male, was treated at the scene by fire department medics and released.
The driver of the Chevy was also evaluated for signs of impairment. Indications of alcohol consumption were detected and he was placed under arrest and processed for driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Upon completion of his evaluations and treatment he will be booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Vehicular Homicide.
No citations will be issued at the scene, which is standard procedure in serious traffic collisions involving extensive follow up investigation and collision reconstruction.
Traffic Collision Investigation Squad detectives responded to the scene and continue to actively investigate. Delridge Way SW is closed for approximately one block in each direction from the scene and traffic is being detoured. The road should be back open at approximately 1:30 a.m.
1:53 AM UPDATE: Police have just announced via radio communication that Delridge is reopening.
(SCROLL DOWN for newest information)
3:40 AM: We are at California and Oregon, where a motorcycle rider is dead at the scene of a crash that happened just after 3 am. Police at the scene are not able to say much yet, but a Jeep Liberty also was involved in the crash; its driver was not seriously hurt. The intersection is taped off and likely to be closed for hours.
4:10 AM UPDATE: The Traffic Collision Investigation Squad, which investigates crashes with deadly and/or life-threatening injuries, is here. They’re expanding the closure of California northward to Genesee; Oregon is closed between 42nd and 44th. The motorcycle, and victim, are on the west side of the street just north of California, and the collision took out a big planter. SPD describes the victim as a man in his 60s. The SUV driver, also male, had a dog in the vehicle, and someone has come to pick it up. TV stations are here too and gearing up to report on this during morning newscasts.
5:02 AM UPDATE: Metro says Routes 22, 50, 55, 128 are being rerouted around the crash scene until it’s cleared.
6:16 AM UPDATE: We’re checking back at the scene.
Investigators think they will be there a few more hours, so please note that if you go through that area in the morning, you will need to detour.
8:05 AM UPDATE: Open again, per Metro alert that buses have returned to their regular routes.
9:48 AM UPDATE: SPD has just posted this update:
Just shortly after 3:00 a.m.,a patrol officer was stopped facing southbound on California Av Sw at Sw Alaska St. The officer noticed a red Jeep Liberty turn left from SW Alaska onto northbound California Av Sw. Moments later, the officer heard a loud crash behind him; he made a u-turn and came upon that same Jeep Liberty involved in a collision with a motorcycle at the intersection of California Av SW and SW Oregon St. It appears the Harley Davidson motorcycle was travelling west on Sw Oregon St and was struck in the intersection by the northbound Jeep Liberty.
On scene patrol officers initiated CPR on the 62-year-old male motorcycle operator; Seattle Fire resumed life saving efforts when they arrived, the male was subsequently pronounced deceased at the scene shortly thereafter. The King County Medical Examiner responded and took custody of the male.
As is routine, a DUI unit responded and evaluated the driver of the Jeep Liberty; no signs of impairment were detected.
The investigation continues.
A two-car crash at 46th/Andover (map) this past hour left one car upside down, and sent two people to the hospital. That’s what WSB’s Katie Meyer, who also took our photo, reports from the scene.
Both were transported via private ambulance, indicating the injuries weren’t believed to be life-threatening. The flipped car had collided with a van, though the circumstances aren’t known.
(Photos by Christopher Boffoli for WSB)
10:52 PM: WSB contributing photojournalist Christopher Boffoli is at the scene of that flipped-vehicle crash in the 5400 block of West Marginal Way SW (just north of the Lafarge plant). Avoid the area.
11:07 PM: Christopher says the vehicle’s female driver was reported to have suffered “bumps and scrapes,” no serious injury, and was being taken to the hospital by private ambulance to be checked out. Police told him at the scene that the driver said she swerved to avoid an animal, hit a utility pole, and that’s what flipped her Toyota SUV. He says City Light was arriving at the scene when he left – likely to check out the not-insignificant damage to the pole.
11:20 PM: Police have reported (per scanner) that southbound W. Marginal is open again. (added) Shortly thereafter, the other direction reopened too.
8:53 PM: Emergency crews are handling a crash across SW Thistle from Chief Sealth International High School. Our crew says that’s blocking eastbound Thistle at the scene. The crash originally was dispatched as a “heavy rescue” situation, but many of the crews were subsequently canceled. Our crew says it looks like two cars went up over the sidewalk and through a fence at an apartment complex. A private ambulance is there, which suggests the injuries are not life-threatening. Avoid the area.
9:11 PM UPDATE: In addition to going through the fence, it looks like at least one vehicle hit an apartment, breaking a window, and firefighters are helping clean up the glass inside.
As for how it happened – police were still sorting that out.
4:55 PM: Also happening right now: A police response in Highland Park. We’d been monitoring this just before the aforementioned port rescue broke out. Per scanner traffic, it started as a report of a possible carjacking, but then the story got more complicated. They’ve been searching for suspects in the Highland Park Elementary vicinity. Police explain it via Twitter this way: “Officers investigating very strange carjacking report in West Seattle. Started off as report of 6 ppl fighting in 3800 blk of Delridge……suspect fled the scene, but later called 911 himself, spoke briefly with an operator and hung up……officers are now looking for the suspect and a white Toyota Corolla.” Scanner indicates there may be a South Park address associated with this.
5:40 PM: No official updates; a WSB crew just checked the Highland Park vicinity where police were earlier, nothing happening.
5:57 PM UPDATE: Via Twitter, SPD now says, “Officers have taken two people into custody in connection with the carjacking in W. Seattle. More details when we sort all this out.”
LATE-NIGHT UPDATE: No official update yet, but activity into the evening in Highland Park may have been related; we’ll be checking back in the morning.
(Seattle Fire Department photo, shared via Twitter)
4:45 PM: Big emergency response headed to the 3400 block of West Marginal Way right now, with word that rescue help might be needed on a crane. This is at the Port of Seattle’s Terminal 5, a possible medical emergency. More to come.
4:54 PM UPDATE: You might see a TV helicopter related to this. No word yet on how the rescue’s going.
(Photo by Mike Scharer)
4:59 PM UPDATE: Rescuers have made it up onto a crane. They say via radio they have found “an adult male, conscious, alert, stable” who might be doing well enough to bring down via elevator rather than in a more precarious way.
5:03 PM UPDATE: Sounds like they plan to bring him down in a basket instead.
(Seattle Fire Department photo, shared via Twitter)
6:28 PM: SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore told us at the scene that the crane op, in his 60s, apparently had heat exhaustion. More when our crew gets back.
(Video by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
7:43 PM: Added video of Moore’s briefing for reporters at the scene (including ours), and photos. The patient was brought down from 140 feet up, he said, and at last report is in stable condition.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 5:57 PM: We’re on our way to check out an emergency response that has escalated to a hazardous-materials response in the 3000 block of Avalon Way. Avoid the area; updates shortly – and yes, that’s why you are seeing a helicopter overhead; it’s TV. Emergency crews on scene say there’s a “strong smell of gasoline” at the site, which was once a church.
6:08 PM UPDATE: We’re on site – the action is close to Avalon/Yancy. Adding the top photo, sent by Jeff. At least one TV chopper still overhead. No word of any injuries; investigators still trying to find the source, as far as we know. Via the scanner, they’re discussing air-sample readings that so far aren’t showing anything discernible. SFD’s public-information officer has been dispatched so we’ll have a steadier source of information shortly.
6:30 PM UPDATE: A million apologies for our server getting overloaded and shutting down. It’s been reset and hopefully that will be the end of it – we keep increasing capacity and it still isn’t always enough for the next breaking story, so we keep exploring new options for something close to infinite bandwidth. Meantime, nothing new here – fire crews have yet to pinpoint the source, so far as we hear – still investigating all around the building – but keep avoiding the area. For those who are worried about hazardous fumes – there’s been NO confirmation of anything risky – this is all mostly a precaution because of the previously mentioned “strong smell of gasoline.”
6:43 PM UPDATE: Thanks to area resident Jeff, who has the overview of part of the scene and has been updating us – adding another of his photos above this update. He’s seen SFD crews first bring in a tarp, then bring in fans, and he noticed the smell getting stronger at one point, but he hasn’t seen them bring anything out. Also of note, the official incident address has been updated to 30th/Adams.
7:05 PM UPDATE: This is now officially scaling down. Bottom line, according to SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore, they didn’t find anything (except evidence of squatters, which neighbors tell us has long been a problem). If you’ve had trouble placing this building – here’s a wider view from William, who lives across the street:
So SFD says the air is safe, no one ever needed to evacuate, and they’ll be packing up. Traffic is moving on Avalon.
7:46 PM UPDATE: Back at HQ; added the photo above showing the big turnout of SFD vehicles, and here’s our video of Moore’s briefing:
As SFD was wrapping up, SPD was going to take a look around, per scanner traffic. So we’ll be following up to see if anything was determined regarding the presence of squatters in the building.
(SUNDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE here)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 2:36 AM: Big emergency response right now at 17th and Cambridge. Two vehicles involved. More to come.
3:09 AM UPDATE: This was a T-bone crash, with both vehicles ending up on the sidewalk – two people had to be extricated, described as the male driver of the Honda and female driver of the van; both were taken to Harborview Medical Center. The extrication is what made it an “automobile rescue” call, if you watch the online 911 log. Via Twitter, SPD says the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad is responding, as it does to major crash scenes, which means the scene will likely be closed off for a few hours.
9:09 AM UPDATE: Updated information from SPD BLotter:
Two people were injured in an early morning collision. This morning just shortly after 2:00 a.m., an adult female was driving a full sized van N/B on 17th AV SW, and drove through the stop sign at SW Cambridge ST without stopping.
The van hit a small car travelling W/B with 2 occupants, pushing it completely through the intersection, and up the sidewalk into a fence, and crushing the driver’s side halfway into the passenger side of the car.
Both occupants of the car sustained critical injuries. Seattle Fire responded and treated them on scene. Both were transported to an area hospital. The 4 occupants of the suspect van got out and ran westbound across Delridge Way, where responding officers caught them.
The female suspect/ driver was processed and booked into King County Jail for DUI – Vehicular Assault.
MONDAY NOTE: Again, please see our updated story from Sunday, with Monday additions, for the newest information.
2:54 PM: Heads up if you’re headed to or from Highland Park, among other affected areas: A crash at West Marginal Way SW and Highland Park Way (map) is leading police to close West Marginal at the scene and for at least a few blocks north.
3:18 PM: Our crew at the scene says a car hit a pole and hydrant (though there’s no water flowing from the latter) on the west (southbound) side of the road a short distance north of Highland Park Way. While the car will be towed soon, the pole and resulting suspended wires have to be taken care of by City Light. P.S. Just added a cameraphone photo but because of the sun and tree cover, the pole hit by the car is hard to see – we’ll substitute clearer photos when our crew gets back. The driver was not seriously hurt.
3:35 PM: Via radio, police are saying City Light can’t get there for another hour or so because it’s shift change.
Meantime, the closure is requiring semi-trucks to turn around as well as smaller vehicles, since they are heavy users of this road. So we do advise avoiding the area entirely TFN.
4:01 PM: Substituted a clearer photo. West Marginal at that spot is still closed off, be forewarned.
5:20 PM: Open both ways, but City Light repair crew has outside southbound lane blocked.
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