Update: Man killed in White Center crash, pulling out of his own driveway
10:19 AM: The King County Sheriff’s Office reports a fatal crash at 9th and 106th SW (map), with one person dead. We’ll update from the scene shortly.
11:07 AM UPDATE: The crash is in an off-the-beaten-path a residential neighborhood. Two vehicles are involved; we’ve just added photos (blurring one otherwise-visible plate, as is WCN policy). Investigators from the Major Accident Response and Reconstruction team are at the scene now; they’ve deferred comment to KCSO’s media liaison, Sgt. Cindi West, from whom we expect more information later.
11:28 AM UPDATE: Commenter Beverly says the victim is a neighbor who lives on the street where this happened.
11:55 AM UPDATE: That’s confirmed by Sgt. West, with whom we just spoke; she says the victim is in his early 70s and was pulling out of his driveway onto SW 106th, when an eastbound vehicle hit him. The woman and child in that car were not seriously hurt, she said, and neither driver appeared to have been under the influence, nor does it seem speeding was a factor, according to Sgt. West, though the final determination of the crash’s cause will be up to the MARR’s findings.
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August 3rd, 2012 at 11:19 am
I live on this street, and I disagree with your comment that this is off the beaten path. People drive on this residential street at speeds well exceeding the limit on a daily basis. People use it as a shortcut, instead of traveling on SW 108th. Unfortunately, this morning my neighbor lost his life because of one of those people who fly up this road with no regard for the speed limit or the people who live here. RIP, Steve!
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:26 am
Sorry to hear that, Beverly. Thanks for the perspective.
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:25 am
Oh crap. This is close to my house. So sad. :(
August 3rd, 2012 at 11:41 am
@Beverly, get the neighborhood together to put in for speed calming measures. Use this incident as part of the case for those measures. Hope that helps.
August 3rd, 2012 at 12:06 pm
It appeared there was a pedestrian struck on Roxbury around 12th, just after 9am. I went by just as the police arrived, aid unit followed. A City Light crew was directing traffic and assisting prior to police arrival.
August 3rd, 2012 at 12:21 pm
I have to agree with her; I am on 13th and the speeding is worse than ever. I regularly have to yell at people who are doing 40+ on their way towards Roxbury.
August 3rd, 2012 at 1:03 pm
Someone is at fault. If speed wasn’t a factor, inattention probably was!
August 3rd, 2012 at 1:56 pm
I also live on this street, and people driving on this street do consistantly exceed the speed limit. This is a very unfortunate event. So sorry for the loss of a neighbor.
August 3rd, 2012 at 3:44 pm
I live on 10th ave just around the corner and I use that street often. You’ll be amazed howamy cars speed on that street. I have almost been hit a couple of times on that street. I drove by there this morning and saw the yellow tape. I was hoping it wasn’t anything serious. I am sad that someone lost their life. I will keep his family in my prayers.
August 4th, 2012 at 8:48 am
There is no way she was not speeding. How could you do that much damage and kill someone. Also what ever happened to the rule that hitting a car on the drivers side puts you at fault no matter what. My other question is skid marks, did she even try to stop, hmmmm! No matter she killed an innocent person and should be held accountable. Sad, as that husband and wife were just discussing that very matter of speed on that street just a few days prior. How do I know? I worked with his wife up until Thursday. I am heart broken for his wife and praying for all involved.
August 4th, 2012 at 10:21 am
I grew up on 106th just east of 8th. The stop sign on 8th going south bound, just on top of the little hill was put there due accidents occurring consistently in the 70’s at the intersection with 106th. It took a lot of complaining to the county but they finally installed a stop sign there. Maybe a concerted effort by the neighborhood (like we did in the 70’s), you can get speed bumps installed on 106th in that area where people come up over the hill in excessive speeds. Just a thought.
August 4th, 2012 at 4:47 pm
The man who died in this accident was my Grandpa and he was a great man. Also Nancy, there were no skid marks meaning the woman didn’t even try to stop. So I’m guessing she was doing something other than paying attention to the road. The entire family is devastated by this loss.
August 4th, 2012 at 5:12 pm
@Nancy Thank you for defending my Dad. I live in Salem and didn’t see the accident scene except in pictures but even in these pictures you can see that there is a dip between the corner (the yellow arrow sign) and Dad’s drivay that can swallow up a whole car, even a Bronco! The woman driving that Bronco should have been going no more than 20 in such a limited sight distance area. What if it would have been a kid on a bike or some young mother pushing her baby in a stroller!! Dad couldn’t have been moving any faster than that coming out of that driveway from a dead stop!! Something should have been done about that street 30 years ago! And something needs to be done about the woman who hit and killed my dad. I don’t want vengence, just justice. She made a choice to take that “shortcut” to save time and to go that speed she was driving. She didn’t choose to kill my dad, but her irresponsible choices caused this to happen. I am sorry for her trauma and for the trauma this must have caused her little girl but that doesn’t excuse her from her responsibility for making bad decisions. Maybe owning up to that responsibility will help her heal her conscience and make a better role model for her daughter to follow. Thank you everyone for your kind words, condolensces and prayers.
August 6th, 2012 at 11:31 am
I am so sorry that this victim lost his life, what a tragedy. The woman driving needs to be held accountable and cited for the life she took.
August 8th, 2012 at 9:41 am
If the county would just listen the those of us who have complained and come out with sensors to detect the number of vehicles and their speeds, they would immediately see that there is a need for “traffic calming” devises.
After speaking with other neighbors the morning of the accident, it was clear that when the county has been contacted, they tell us that if we want to pay for speed bumps, they’ll put them in. Then they remind us that speed bumps will slow down emergency vehicles. Are we suppose to just live with the danger so emergency vehicles that respond to the accidents can get there quicker?
How about stop signs on S W 106th at every street that intersects it. That would force vehicles to come to a stop and should limit how much speed they can pick up before the next stop (not to mention the reason to use it as a “short cut”). And low and behold, that wouldn’t impede the emergency vehicles.
August 9th, 2012 at 12:46 am
That is a very good idea Beverly! It might annoy those who live there a little bit to have to stop and go, stop and go but speed humps are just as annoying. I think they should also lower the speed limit going over that hill to 10 or 15 mph with warning signs that there is an intersection on the other side with a very limited sight range. Neighbors need to find out when the next council meeting is and start hounding them to do the right thing!
August 9th, 2012 at 12:43 pm
per Beverly’s quote “when the county has been contacted, they tell us that if we want to PAY for speed bumps, they’ll put them in.”
here is an excellent example of what King County is doing (NOT) for our community………….