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- Broadway minivan crash: Traffic was tied up and one of Broadway’s rugged but not indestructible street trees got the worst of it in a single-vehicle crash that left the driver briefly stuck but uninjured in his flipped on its side minivan Monday morning. Seattle Fire was called to the scene around 8:23 AM to assist the 56-year-old man who crashed but reported the driver was not seriously injured and did not require transport to the hospital. According to East Precinct radio updates, the driver was evaluated by police at the scene but did not show signs of impairment. There were no other reported injuries but a street tree along Broadway in front of the Seoul Tofu and Jjim was knocked over in the vehicle’s collision with the curb. SDOT was called to evaluate — and likely remove — the damaged tree. It wasn’t clear what role speed played in the crash. CHS has reported on past flipped car crashes involving speeds reported as low as 25 MPH.
https://twitter.com/typewriteralley/status/1561739477738934273
- Kia rams SPD cruiser: The occupants of a lime green Kia SUV smashed into an East Precinct police cruiser early Friday morning and fled the scene in an incident reported on Nagle near the northwest corner of Cal Anderson Park. SPD officers involved in the collision did not give chase. According to East Precinct radio updates and a department brief on the incident, police pulled in front of the suspicious vehicle around 2:15 AM Friday. As the police cruiser attempted to block the vehicle in, a driver and occupants jumped in and smashed into the police car and fled west into the city. SPD reports officers chose to not pursue the bright green car as the driver sped away running red lights through the city. SPD reported the vehicle was not displaying license plates and was believed to have been stolen but that officers had a good description of the driver. CHS reported last week on a spate of Kia thefts on Capitol Hill and across the city believed to have been spurred by TikTok videos showing how to break into the vehicles using a USB drive or cable. There were no immediate arrests.
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So, I guess if I’m driving a stolen Kia, maybe possess a firearm (based on prior interactions with these Kia thieves), and am driving the car with no plates, the best course of action is to ram a patrol car and drive recklessly into the city. Apparently the police won’t purse me, so it makes more sense than to submit to the officers.
There are times when police pursuing someone is reckless. For example, for a minor traffic infraction. But there are times, such as when suspects endanger the police by ramming their vehicle, when pursuit is warranted. Anyone willing to do that is a clear danger to the rest of us and needs to be apprehended as quickly as possible.
This isn’t Hollywood, and this is a case where SPD probably made the correct move.
Engaging in a high-speed pursuit in what is mostly a residential area with one-way streets packed with parked cars is pretty risky relative to the danger that individual posed at that moment. And “officers got a good look at the driver” could mean a follow-up arrest.
Also, it’s possible they damaged the police car; if the cops didn’t have backup, where exactly would the pursuit come from?
Hmmm,,,the East Precinct is one block away.
Hmm, how fast does a car go, and how long does it take for people to leave an office, get in a car, and pursue? And where do they go?
The Kia driver had a 5-15 minute head start on anyone arriving from East Precinct, and could’ve managed to get to I5 in that time, at that hour. Or could’ve disappeared down dozens of side streets.
Even officers on patrol would take similar amounts of time to arrive unless nearby, and what vector do they approach for intercept if they’ve already lost track of the driver?
Unless you think the officers at the precinct are sitting in their cars, engines running, just waiting for the next call. In which case, lol.
I’ve been on the Hill 30 years and can remember when Broadway was not lined with beautiful, mature street trees. If found negligent, the driver of the minivan should pay the city for a cost of a replacement for the tree.