Driver Under Influence Takes Right Turn Onto Sidewalk On NE 45th Street

A white older model construction truck is currently blocking the sidewalk on the corner of NE 45th Street and 43rd Avenue NE. 

Multiple police cars are on the scene, as well as a large tow truck.

Police said that the driver was under the influence (DUI). The officer also added that no one was hurt. 

The side of the white truck says "R & R Construction Inc.  Carbonado, WA" 

Have You Seen A Small Silver SUV Involved In Hit and Run?

 

The Laurelhurst Blog received this information:

We are reporting a hit and run that happened on Monday about 7:45pm. The car was heading northbound on 48th Avenue NE and then turned left (or west) onto NE 45th Street.

The car that hit several others is a silver SUV, of a hatchback design. It is believed that it could be a Subaru. The car hit 2 cars, including a white Audi sedan.

The cars that were damaged were parked about a block away from each other. One car, the Audi, has major damage on the passenger side.

The information has been reported to Seattle Police. Please report anything to them if you see the car of have additional information.

Accident This Morning Near Children's Hospital

Neighbors reported to the Laurelhurst Blog, an early morning accident called in to 911 at 7:32am at the intersection of NE 45th and 42nd Avenue NE. The road was blocked for a few hours.

It was reported that a silver Audi was going 45-50mph westbound on NE 45th and hit a Subaru at the intersection. The driver of the Subaru was reportedly transported to the Hospital.

Neighbors said:

It was a horrible, loud accident that could have been prevented by following the speed limit and not being distracted. 

The Subaru was all mangled up and it looked as if it was quite challenging to extricate the drive. We hope this is a warning to those that use NE 45th Street and often go very fast. 

In September of last year, two speed radar signs were permanently installed on NE 45th Street, in both directions, towards the bottom of the hill.

A new pedestrian crossing, at NE 45th Street and 40th Avenue NE, was also been installed.

Children's Hospital initiated the request, to Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), to improve traffic safety after a pedestrian was struck at the above intersection in March 2016.

The criteria for installation of speed cushions on 45th Street was met for both travel directions requiring that "85th-percentile speed of the roadway would need to be greater than 5 mph above the posted speed limit of 30mph."

Todd Johnson, Children's Hospital Vice President, Facilities and Supply Chain, told the Laurelhurst Blog Staff at the time:

There have been ongoing safety concerns related to the area around NE 45th Street and 40^th Avenue NE.  People tell us, and we’ve witnessed drivers exceeding the speed limit as they travel down the hill toward Sand Point Way.  At least one injury accident occurred there in 2015 or 2016 when a vehicle struck pedestrian.  We reached out to Seattle Department of Transportation for help making the area safer.   

SDOT selected the methods to calm traffic – a speed monitor and a new crosswalk – and SDOT directed their implementation.   

This work was not part of the Livable Streets Initiative,  mitigation plan and collaborative study completed in 2009-2010 involving Children's Hospital, Laurelhurst Community Club (LCC) and other NE Seattle neighborhoods, nor was it required of the hospital.  It is in our interest to keep pedestrians safe around our campus, whether those people are patients or families, Children’s staff, or neighbors. 

Speeding Drivers Reported Throughout The Neighborhood

one of two new speed radar signs

on NE 45th Street

The Laurelhurst Blog received this information from a neighbor:

As I was approaching the intersection of NE Surber Drive and 42nd Avenue NE on November 16th, my car was almost struck by a white Subaru rounding the corner going about 35 miles per hour as I was turning turning onto 42nd Avenue NE.  

Several years ago a resident on NE Surber Drive contacted the Laurelhurst Blog Staff wondering how effective the speed cushions are because he has seen cars, especially larger vehicles, such as SUVS, avoiding the speed cushions, thus still being able to maintain a high rate of speed. 

The speed cushions, which are three inches high, were installed in  December of 2011 between NE 41st Street and 41st Avenue NE, due to numerous neighbors raising concerns about speeding cars over the last several years. 

One neighbor at the time commented:

At the yield sign at Surber Drive and 42nd Avenue NE there used to be round bumps (I'm sure there is another name for them) and painted stripes to the right of the yield sign. Drivers going right onto 42nd Avenue NE cut to the right of the sign and sometimes even pass cars that are turning right from the correct side of the sign. Twice I have even witnessed drivers coming from Webster Point area and turning left onto Surber left of the sign on the left side of the road. Very scary!

The City installed the speed cushions after more than 60 percent of affected neighbors signed a petition submitted in July of the same year.  The well-travelled corridor had been on SDOT’s priority funding list and SDOT told the Laurelhurst Community Club  at the time that funds were finally available to "address the relatively high speeds." 

Another frequent area of speeding is NE 41st Street commonly known as "Suicide Hill,"  the very steep hill on NE 41st Street between 42nd Avenue NE and 43rd Avenue NE.  Neighbors report speeders driving in excess of 50mph down the hill. 

The Laurelhurst Blog posted many comments received by neighbors and others who frequently use that street. 

In 2013 a neighbor commented:

We came across a car wreck at the cross streets of NE 41st Street and 43rd Avenue NE. Ever since we moved in almost two years ago, I frequently cross NE 41 Street from 43rd Avenue NE. Every time I cross that street I'm thankful I made it safely. I often thought it might take an accident for the City to put stop signs on the 45th Street  sides, both east and west. Perhaps the unfortunate accident will make this happen. 

Several years ago the Laurelhurst Blog reported about a dog that was struck and killed by a speeding driver on NE 41st Street and in  December the Blog reported about two car accidents, one in which one person was taken away in an ambulance and the other the speeding driver lost control and hit the median sending one tired into the fence at Talaris and knocking part of it down.

Robin, who works on road safety with the Laurelhurst Community Club, has  over many years witnessed accidents and near misses around Suicide Hill.  He has been working to improve the safety in that area over the last few years.

Speeding around Laurelhurst Elementary School has also been seen.  In February a  parent that lives near  Laurelhurst Elementary School reported  that he often see teens speeding and/or texting while driving through the School zone. 

NE 45th Street is also another frequent speeding corridor.  In September, Children's Hospital worked with SDOT to permanently install speed radar signs on NE 45th Street in both directions, towards the bottom of the hill. Children's Hospital initiated the request, to Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) to improve traffic safety, after a pedestrian was struck at the intersection of NE 45th Street and 40th Avenue NE, in March of last year.

In Seattle, the speed limit on all residential (non-arterial) streets is 20mph.  The speed limit on arterial streets is 25mph, unless otherwise posted. 

Dog Hit By Driver Doing Well

The Laurelhurst Blog received this email:

I need to send a message to the kind driver of a white wagon that hit my dog on Tuesday, May 5 at 8:15am on 47^th Avenue NE and NE 50^th Street.

The driver stopped after the collision but I wasn’t in a state of mind to assure the driver that everything was ok. 

My dog, Nelly, is doing well and will make a full recovery. It wasn’t the driver’s fault, the blame lies with me. 

Ted  

5100 block of 46^th Avenue NE

Fence Damaged At Talaris Last Week

Damaged fence at Talaris

 

Last Sunday morning, November 24th,  about 2 a.m. a car hit the median on NE 41st Street then damaged the fence at Talaris.

A neighbor wrote:

The car lost a wheel, which ran all the way down the street, and then careened into the Talaris fence, taking down a chunk, about 15 feet. Most likely speeding. The Seattle Police Incident number is

2013-423417.

 

Reader Comments On Speeding Drivers On NE 41st Street Hill And SDOT Contact For Concerns

Bottom of dangerous hill looking east on  NE 41st Street

 



We have received many comments after our post Tuesday about a dog being hit and killed on NE 41st Street, near the very steep hill.

One neighbor, submitted his concerns and comments to Jim Curtin, SDOT Traffic Safety Coordinator, over a month ago, and Jim has just told the neighbor and the Blog Staff that the evaluation of the site will finally be available on Monday. 

Jim added: 

Please let me know if you know of any recent collisions at this location since crash information is one factor we take into account during our evaluation. There is a rather significant lag time between the incident and the collision report being sent to SDOT so any additional information you can provide would be helpful. To date, we show one collision at this intersection in 2013 that occurred on June 24th.

.

Jim Curtin can be reached by email at Jim.Curtin@seattle.gov or by phone 206-684-8874.

In addition, the Laurelhurst Community Club, (LCC), has been working on this major safety hazard for many years. SDOT installed a reduced speed sign and a yellow blinking light in the past to calm speeds.

 

"More obviously needs to be done to address the problem,"Jeannie Hale, LCC President told us. 

She said that the two worst accidents she is aware of were at the top of the hill - due to lack of visibility. In one accident, one car was totaled and another accident was at the bottom due due to excessive speeds, in which a car was proceeding along 42^nd Avenue NE and was hit by a speeding car proceeding on NE 41st Street.

A neighbor who lives two blocks from the dangerous intersection said that he has heard numerous accidents from his house. He told us that about five years ago an SUV with five Chinese students in was  heading south on 43rd Avene NE and was hit broadside by a full sized sedan heading east fast up NE 41st Street.  There was a lot of damage to the SUV and he believes a broken arm to one of the students.

Another accident he remembers is one aout ten years ago that involved a plumbers truck heading west down NE 41st Street and hit a car crossing the intersection at 43rd Avenue NE, which ended up being totalled. And the impact was so great that pipes on top of the plumbers truck flew down the hill at least 300 feet.

The neighbor also recalls at least five dogs and one cat that have been killed on this stretch over the years.  One kid was crossing the intersection with his dog on a leash. A car coming fast up the hill missed the kid but hit and killed the little dog.

We received these comments from those who travel in that area:

I have lived on NE 41st St. for over 40 years and have tried many times to get the city to install speed bumps or traffic calming always with the same response...NO Their reason is because this street is a main arterial and emergency vehicles need access. I do believe every road leading to Villa Academy has speed bumps so what would happen if there was ever an urgent need response required there?

This past June, we came across a car wreck at the cross streets of NE 41st Street and 43rd Avenue NE. Ever since we moved in almost two years ago, I frequently cross NE 41 Street from 43rd Avenu NE. Every time I cross that street I'm thankful I made it safely. I often thought it might take an accident for the City to put stop signs on the 45th Steet  sides, both east and west. Perhaps the unfortunateaccident will make this happen. 

A concern I have for that intersection is during the School year. The public middle school kids catch their bus at the NE between 7-7:20. I have often seen many students wait until speeding cars, coming from the east, heading west, are traveling too fast to slow down. They come flying down that hill. And many cars come flying up the steep hill, coming from the west, heading east. The speed limit coming up the hill is 15MPH (I believe) and I know many are going much faster than that. During most of the school year the morning is dark, making it really hard to see the kids cross the street.

SDOT now has a new kind of speedbump called a Speed Table that targets inattentive or impaired drivers while leaving the rest of us without "speedbump bruises" They can also be installed on arterials or transit streets prevously off limits for speedbumps. 

So sorry to hear about the dog who was hit. My husband commented Tuesday about 2 police cars, with sirens going, driving very fast on 42nd Avenue NE between NE 45th Street and NE 41st Street. There is no way someone coming down 41st Avenue NE at the usual rate of speed could have stopped in time after hearing the sirens (probably blocked to some extent by the hill) or seeing the car(s).     

We again have problems turning into the alley behind that block of 42nd Ave NE and Talaris.  The lowest branches of the trees in the center median of 41st Avenue NE block the view up the hill necessary for a safe left turn. These trees were pruned slightly last year, but branches grow longer and are weighted down by leaves this time of year. It's a steep hill, and some folks drive so fast that their cars hit bottom on the flat part.  I think the speed limit should be clocked on that hill. 

I was so sad to read about Jacopo getting hit by a car on NE 41st. We live on that street too, and speeders have always been a problem -- from awful to outrageous. I contacted the City about six-eight weeks ago about conducting a traffic study after talking with a neighbor on the northside of 41st, west of us.  The usual blah-blah from the city in response (arterial, etc), but the City did promise to study us within the next year. This is long overdue.

 

This past June, one of my labs escaped from my back yard and was hit by a young lady speeding east up NE 41st Street. The dog wasn't killed but I spent the whole night looking for her, together with several neighbors, finally finding her in the park. She had to have 7 stitches in her head and 4 on her front leg. She was only 2 years old and was never the same again. Very sad. 

I really believe the very safest solution for the NE 41st. Street and 43 Avenue NEcrossing is to install one large Convex Traffic Mirror (About 24" diameter) on the NW corner and another one on the SW corner. This would enable drivers heading south or north on 43rd Avenue NE to check the mirrors and see what is coming up the hill. I also think we should install stop signs on ALL FOUR corners. This will help slow down all the speeding drivers traveling up and down NE 41st Street. The police would have a field day giving out tickets on NE 41st Street. If the SDOT say NO then I really would like to hear what they suggest. Their explanation concerning "no speed bumps" is ridiculous. If there ever a fire at Villa Academyevery road leading to that facility has speed bumps so the reasoning of emergency vehicles needing clear access goes right out the window.  

I have lived on NE 41st Street for 40 years so I do feel i"m somewhat of an expert when it comes to traffic flow in this part of Laurelhurst. The speed limit on this stretch of NE 41st is 15 mph and there are several signs warning drivers of hidden driveways as they head west down the hill from the park. Only about 10% ever obey the speed limit. It is a wonder no children have been run over though a collie dog was killed about 20 years ago by a stop-and-run driver heading west. 

The couple we bought our house from on NE 41st Street in 1968, kept a first aid kit in the front closet to treat those injured in accidents at that intersection. I myself was deposed in a court case in which a young woman riding on the back of a motorbike was hit by a car going north across 43rd Avenue NE. She had stopped but the motorcycle was going so fast she couldn’t see them coming. If there had been a mother pushing a stroller across, they all would have been dead. I refused to testify on behalf of the motorcycle kid as he was speeding. I also remember a driver who drove down 41st (westbound) so fast he lost control, and took out all the trees on our parking strip.  I could go on. This hill has been a problem now and since before we moved in. 

 

Here are two of many past Blog posts published about this area of the neighborhood:

Drivers Rolling Through Stop Signs (2/12)

Three Car Accident (June 2013)
 

 

Two Car Accident On East Side Of Laurelhurst Park Yesterday

Yesterday around 2:15pm there was a two car collision  at NE 44th Street and 48th Avenue NE.

A reader gave us this account along with pictures:

A young girl was turning left onto 48th Avenue NE from NE 44th.  There is a yield sign at that corner.  Another car was driving on 48th towards NE 45th. 

Visibility is poor from the NE 44th corner.  The girl said she didn’t see the other driver coming.  It could be that he was going too fast or maybe she didn’t yield. 

Police were on the scene and tow trucks arrived.  The first tow truck driver swept up the glass on the street.

It was extremely fortunately that the girl was not seriously injured.  Her side airbag deployed.  She knew instinctively to bend her head and tuck—something I never knew.

Status of Pedestrian and Upcoming Laurelhurst Community Club Meeting on Pedestrian Safety

Many readers have been asking about the status of the pedestrian that was hit last Friday morning while trying to cross a very busy intersection in Laurelhurst.

We have refrained from posting an  update to respect the wishes of the family of maintaning their privacy during this very difficult time.

Laurelhurst Community Club has told us only that the woman, who lives in Laurelhurst, is in serious condition at Harborview.

Jeannie Hale, LCC President, wrote us that "In the meantime, we’re reviewing the Sand Point Pedestrian Study and will know more(today) whether the SDOT person can come to LCC’s next meeting."

Cary Lassen, LCC Crime Prevention Officer, added that everyone is encouraged to attend the LCC meeting on Monday, April 12th at 7pm at St. Stephens Church where a discussion of pedestrian safety will be on the agenda.

"The Board will be reviewing the Sand Point Way Pedestrian Study which was prepared in December 2007 and the City's Pedestrian Master Plan. Some parts of the Pedestrian Study have been implemented. However, some recommendations like reducing the speed on Sand Point Way, are still in the works," Cary told us.

LCC has invited a representative from Neighborhood Traffic Operations with the City of Seattle, confirmation at this time is pending.

Cary said, "We will work with our neighbors, the city and Children's to help plan how we can reduce the danger for pedestrians and cyclists. We need immediate solutions to some crossings - possibly flashing lights.

In the long term, we should consider overpasses and possibly a cut-and-cover tunnel from Children's Hospital, (similar to UW hospital's garage tunnel) under Sand Point Way with a pedestrian path connecting to the trail," Cary told us.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to our fellow Laurelhurst resident and her family.

Two Incidents in the Neighborhood Today

This morning around 8:30am, a woman was struck by a car as she was stepped into the marked crosswalk of the intersection of NE 45th and 36th Avenue NE. This is the crosswalk just to the south of Bob's Bike and Board one reader has told us.

KIRO and Seattle Times reported shortly after the accident, that the woman was around 45 years old and was"critically hurt." She was taken to Harborview and there has been no update on her condition.

This crosswalk crosses the very busy NE 45th Street and from readers writing in to us, it seems that drivers are not always aware that the light signaling a pedestrian is going to cross has turned red as it is not an intersection set on regular timers. The timer is activated only when a pedestrian pushes the button on the pole to cross. One reader wrote in he has seen many near accidents at that crossing.

Also around 11am neighbors reported to Laurelhurst Community Club Crime Prevention that shots were heard coming from the Center for Urban Horticulture and that it was in lock-down.

Brian Mc Mullen, LCC Crime Prevention Officer, informed LCC that the very loud sounds were part of a pyrotechnics test to deter geese and that no shots had been fired.

Mc Mullen reported that "everything is ok."