There’s been a really bad wreck at 23rd and Marion, shutting down traffic in both directions.
Two unconscious men were just leaded on stretchers and put into ambulances.
The two vehicles are badly mangled, with one up on the sidewalk on the east side of the street.
More soon…
Just drove past and they roped off Marion at 22nd, so no traffic is allowed on that block.
As an side note – I live a block from there, and that’s probably the worst blind spot I know about. When cars park close to the corner, you can’t see and have to creep out and hope not to get hit. Maybe this’ll be a wake-up call to do something about it. Although I’m not sure what, aside from prohibiting parking near the corner…
I think we could have done without the picture of the patient in the ambulance:
http://www.centraldistrictnews.com/2010/08/20/bad-wreck-shut
Photo switched out for a less disturbing one
I agree. There are usually cars parked on Marion within 10-15 feet of 23rd (even with the signs saying no parking within 30 feet). Also, the big laurel hedge on 23rd just south of Marion is very difficult to see past – you have to pull too far out into 23rd before you can even see if there is traffic coming.
Some of those streets are definitely hit and miss as far as seeing oncoming traffic, but this looks like it might have just been a mistake in a lane change unfortunately. It appears the Suburu was heading north bound on 23rd and clipped the front left portion of the Saab as it pulled out from Marion, yet the Suburu wound up into Marion 15 feet. Only thing I can imagine is that the Suburu was changing from left north bound lane to right north bound lane and hit the Saab, then it slapped the driver’s with it’s tails as it whipped the Saab around it’s axis clockwise, and finally reversed it’s own spin and rotated clockwise into the wall.
I hope those two guys are going to be ok. They did have the airbags but looks like they were doing a good 40 mph, which reminds me of how much more aware I need to be in my Nissan truck and 300zx that are not rated as well in a crash as that Suburu.
And swing and a miss! Who would have guessed that the Suburu could be going that fast while running eastbound across 23rd.
I remember there was talk of a road diet for 23rd Ave. While I am a big fan of driving and having proper traffic infrastructure, two lanes with a generous shoulder is always safer and less stressful than four lanes with no room for error.
One of the cars blew through a stop sign. Alcohol involved.
http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2010/08/20/traffic-collision-w
Setting aside injury and blame, it’s sad to see the Saab totalled, those were great cars and there’s fewer of them on the road these days. Saab driver, you have my sympathies, hope you can find another as good.
When does a single person say whats news worthy, The patient is a very close friend of mine. Either display the new in full or shut your site down.
Columbia east of 23rd is even worse. I think somebody is running an illegal auto repair shop around there – the streets are always full of sketchy cars.
looks like the saab won this fight, even without airbags.
Hi- Scott-or anybody who knows…did these people survive?
I’ve been worried, especially about the older gentleman since I met some of his friends on Friday
We tried very hard to get updates on the victims’ conditions, but couldn’t get anywhere with Harborview. It’s almost impossible with current privacy rules to get enough info on victim’s identity to be able to check on their condition.