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Woman and child survive Roanoke Park rollover accident with minor injuries

A woman and child survived this Friday morning accident on a stretch of road that Roanoke Park neighbors say is, truly, an accident waiting to happen.

The two occupants of the black Land Rover were extracted from the vehicle and taken to Harborview with minor injuries, Seattle Fire Department spokesperson Dana Vander Houwen told CHS.

The driver apparently lost control after rounding a turn while heading downhill on E. Lynn, the vehicle slamming into the curb and then into bushes and brambles on the nearby hillside before coming to a rest on its side.

It’s an occurence that Walter Oelwein, who has lived near the E. Lynn curve for 10 years, says he has seen too many times. “When it rains like this, I don’t even feel safe walking right here to take out the garbage,” Oelwein said. Often the accidents are minor, Oelwein said, involving young drivers traveling to and from nearby Seattle Preparatory School. “Just imagine if something like this happens when the cross country team or groups of students are walking through here,” he said.

Oelwein said that neighbors have brought the stretch of road to the attention of the Seattle Department of Transportation and he has spoken to SDOT director Grace Crunican about the danger. They have even started a Google Group to document the accidents. “We’d like to see something done,” Oelwein said. “The city hasn’t done anything but score pavement and you can see what good that’s done.”

Update – 12:57 PM:
Got a link to the Google Group from Walter — the Delmar/ E. Lynn Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Group. According to the group, since 1991 there have been 77 accidents and 19 injuries reported in the area where this morning’s crash occurred. Prior to today’s crash, the most recent accident reported by the group happened in July 2007 when a car hit the guardrail, scraping it and leaving behind car parts in the roadway.

Here’s

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Phil Mocek
14 years ago

Is this “group” they formed (meaning that they established a mailing list, right?) intended to be kept private? I’m interested in what they’ve documented, and a link here to the list archives would be helpful for locating that information.

jseattle
jseattle
14 years ago

Agreed — just needed time to get it from Walter. here’s the group:
http://groups.google.com/group/delmarsafety

I believe you’ll have to apply to join.

I’ll share some info from the group in the post shortly.

EmilyP
EmilyP
14 years ago

I’d urge SDOT to look at the intersection at the base of that street, where Boyer crosses through. It’s the stupidest intersection I’ve ever seen–a stopsign-controlled four-way stop with a giant traffic circle obstructing views. It’s impossible to follow normal four-way stop procedures because you can’t SEE anyone else, plus you don’t know who’s going where when they have to veer around the traffic circle. It’s unsafe and illogical. The whole neighborhood needs an upgrade.

mw
mw
14 years ago

People are driving to fast for the road and most likely for the conditions. It is easier to not take responsibility for your actions.