(Added: Photo sent by John)
9:06 AM: Seattle Fire and Police are responding to 14th/Holden for a report of a flipped-car crash. Updates to come.
9:09 AM: Arriving crews say this is a “small sedan on its side at the top of a stairwell” closer to SW Kenyon. One person is reported to be in the vehicle and firefighters say they do not appear to be seriously hurt.
9:14 AM: The response is being downsized.
Noticed in the last week several different cars going at very high speeds. Hope this isn’t a trend to come as people can be seriously hurt.
I live in this route and it is nothing new. I see them passing other cars quite often. They put in speed bumps that really did nothing. People are out of control
This is of our own doing by creating an environment that nearly exclusively is for cars. We gave cars these streets and just about everything we do and say reinforces that decision. This is the culture we’ve created and it will take us all to undo it.
The first step is recognizing this, we aren’t even close to the first step.
What do you mean by we gave the cars these streets? Aren’t streets made for cars to drive on? If not can you please let me know what streets are actually made for?
If you’re sincerely curious about this, I believe this is in line with what the original poster was referring to: https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2013/3/4/the-stroad.htmlMany other countries design roads to separate cars from pedestrian/bike traffic better than we do, while at the same time designing them in ways where cars can flow more freely at lower speeds while inside city limits.
Before cars were invented, streets were for people, bicycles, wagons, horses, chariots, other modes of transport. They all shared the streets. Since the advent of the automobile, the expectation is that all other modes of transport yield the streets to cars.
Because……?….maybe …since the invention of motorized vehicles on roadways are not safe to “share the road” …if it comes between a car vs pedestrian bike wagon whatever the car truck motorized vehicle (maybe except motorcycles)
My mistake, I forgot streets only came into existence after the automobile was invented.
You know another atrocity they created…..airports. There’s only planes there too, can you imagine the entitlement?
Shoot, I forgot about the jets taxiing down Alki. Exactly the same thing.
It is sad that so many are intellectually stunted.
These streets existed in their current configurations for decades with the pre 25 MPH arbitrary speed limits and idiotic road diets that SDOT is so fond of, but this stuff almost never used to happen.Maybe it has something to do with the current generation of crappy drivers, or even more likely the lack of actual speed and traffic enforcement by SPD that leads people to think they can get away with routinely driving in a reckless manner because they actually can?
Why can they? Because the streets allow it. Streets should be designed for self enforcement. The road diets you dismiss are one way, but SDOTs design language is woefully limited. It will continue to be while our citizens actively resist sensible city design.
Being on its side is close enough to qualify for an official West Seattle flip-over.
As soon as I read “…at the top of a stairwell” I surmised what happened. As you can see, the lanes come to a dead end, and a short, steep stairway leads down to SW Holden. Speed may have played a role, but the driver was either very impaired, or completely distracted, not to have seen the “Street End” sign and barrier. One factor that leads me to suspect the car wasn’t going very fast is that it is at the top of the stairway. Had it been speeding, momentum would have carried it further down the stairway on its side.
With no damage to the road-end barrier visible in this photograph, it appears the driver may have been attempting to go around the barrier and … and … drive down the stairs?
Sorry, comment time is over.
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