UPDATE: Driver hits pole at California/Manning

(Texted photo)

10:40 AM SUNDAY: Thanks to everyone who’s sent photos of that scene outside 3622 California SW this morning. The crash happened around 4:30 am; Theresa tells us what she saw:

I was awakened by a crash, and then screaming, and loud arguing. A sedan crashed into the light pole at mid block 3622 California, in front of Manning Place Apartments, and the Barber Shop. The pole stopped the car from hitting the building, but car is up on the sidewalk diagonally.

Two men got out of the car and ran away. A bicylist convinced the young men to come back. One came back, then eventually, the other. Not clear who was driving, but one of the young men. I know first aid, so I ran down and helped the girl stay still and talked to her. She said she hurt her legs and her teeth hurt.

Listening to audio from the dispatch and response, SFD was called to treat her; Theresa says she was taken away in an ambulance. City Light also was called. Theresa says a new pole’s been delivered, but the car hasn’t yet been removed.

Since the wrecked car is a Hyundai Elantra, you might wonder about its status. So far from recorded incident audio we’ve learned that it had not been reported as stolen but its plates were expired and registered to someone in SeaTac. But that’s where the audio trail has ended, so we probably won’t be able to access further info from police until tomorrow.

10:26 AM MONDAY: Police told us today the car was not stolen – it belongs to a relative of one of the occupants. No one has been cited so far as police were not able to determine who was driving.

GH Neighbor November 19, 2023 (11:09 am)

Was the injured girl a passenger in the car?

WSeattleNeighbor November 19, 2023 (11:16 am)

Any word on if the driver was arrested for hit & run or reckless driving and/or if they were under the influence of drugs or alcohol?

WSB November 19, 2023 (12:56 pm)

As I wrote above, this is all the info I could glean so far.

CrashSceneWitness November 19, 2023 (2:16 pm)

I went outside to see if I could help in anyway after the crash woke me up. The female suffering the most obvious and serious injuries was probably a passenger (back left if I had to guess, based on where she was lying next to the car and the fact that she couldn’t walk), though I didn’t ask them directly. They were all out of the car by the the time I arrived, and that was only a couple of minutes after the crash. A CSO and cyclist were managing the scene and had removed everyone from the car already. The females were in shock with one obviously seriously injured (complaining of ankle and leg pain), while the males started to head into the neighborhood before the cyclist convinced them to come back. But by the time SFD arrived, only three victims (occupants) remained on scene and the fourth, one of the males, had disappeared.

Nathan H. November 19, 2023 (4:28 pm)

Wow, fleeing the scene & leaving their women passengers there injured and alone. Class acts.
- CAM November 19, 2023 (6:59 pm)
  
  Does the gender of the passengers make this statement more or less impactful in some way?
  - Westside November 19, 2023 (7:52 pm)
    
    No….. just the facts…. why bother to mention what you did?

CrashSceneWitness November 19, 2023 (2:23 pm)

But to clarify the fact is I don’t know for sure. So let’s see what SPD says.

Rumbles November 19, 2023 (3:57 pm)

Expired plates, there’s a shocker!

Peter S. November 19, 2023 (6:12 pm)

So serious question: Expired plates suggests outdated registration. Pretty hard to get insurance without proper registration. So who pays for damages? Does the city go after folks who take out utility poles, require EMS callout, etc. for compensation even though the responsible parties are unlikely to have the means to pay? Or do we, the taxpayers, eat it because it’s not worth pursuing, and those responsible get off scot-free?
- Annie November 19, 2023 (8:00 pm)
  
  Seattle City light will go after the driver in small claims court. They file lots and lots of lawsuits in district court.
- Ws November 19, 2023 (11:26 pm)
  
  Insurance companies don’t require current tabs…
  - Peter S. November 21, 2023 (11:46 am)
    
    Surprisingly to me, that is partially correct. I checked with my insurance co. purely out of interest (Pemco), and was told the following: Expired tabs will not invalidate your existing insurance policy in Washington, since they check your MVR and not the car’s VIN. However, that is not the case in Oregon and some other states. Obtaining new insurance would be problematic, since more detailed reports are pulled, including a VIN report. I suspect other Washington insurers have similar policies.

WSB November 20, 2023 (10:45 am)

Talked to police today. Not stolen. Updates above.

Odd son November 20, 2023 (12:49 pm)

Just walked by the new pole. Apparently the pole was replaced beginning at 3 am this morning. Sounded and felt like little earthquakes until about 9 am. Thank you careless driver.

wetone November 21, 2023 (8:59 am)

Pretty easy to figure out who was driving, take fingerprints from steering wheel, shifter handle and door handles….. should give a good clue to driver. As usual though there will be zero accountability and damage costs spread to those not involved.

Sorry, comment time is over.