Other Recent West Seattle Crashes
On August 24, a driver abandoned a vehicle on foot after crashing into a building in the 8600 block of Delridge Way SW. Two weeks before that, a teenage driver crashed into a building near California Avenue SW and SW Manning Street in the South Admiral neighborhood.
Under Washington law, fleeing the scene of a crash involving another occupied vehicle is no small matter. RCW 46.52.020 makes leaving the scene of an attended-vehicle crash a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in jail, a $5,000 fine, and a mandatory one-year license revocation, according to the Washington State Legislature. Injury- or death-related hit-and-run cases can escalate to Class C or Class B felonies.
35th SW's Long Safety History
The Urbanist reported that a proposed 35th Avenue SW safety project in West Seattle would not be expanded.
The city lowered the speed limit on 35th SW to 25 mph in April 2020 as part of its broader Vision Zero push, according to Westside Seattle.
Citywide Push to Curb Traffic Deaths
Recent West Seattle crashes come amid a broader citywide reckoning over traffic safety. In August, Mayor Katie Wilson signed an executive order directing city departments to overhaul traffic safety interventions after data showed the city's Vision Zero goals had stalled.
West Seattle Blog reported that a woman was evaluated for possible injuries, and it remains unclear whether investigators have identified the fleeing driver. Anyone with information is encouraged to work with Seattle police as the search continues.
