accident on snowy SR 509

According to the Washington State Patrol, a 60-year-old Federal Way man lost both his legs when he was struck by a van while standing outside his car after it was involved in a Nov. 28 collision on the State Route 509 overpass at South 128th Street.

As the victim looked back inside his car, he hit by a Chevrolet Astro van driven by a 20-year-old Des Moines man who lost control on the overpass.

The van slid into the victim, pinning him between both vehicles. He suffered internal injuries in addition to losing his legs as a result of the collision.

The driver of the van is a convicted felon whose driver's license is suspended. He also has no car insurance.

Speeding motorcycle riders

arrested, jailed after chase

A 19-year-old Burien man was arrested the night of Nov. 26 for reckless driving, reckless endangerment and attempting to elude a police vehicle after allegedly riding his motorcycle at speeds above 110 mph on Interstate 405.

The biker and a riding companion were spotted speeding southbound through Bellevue by a Washington State Trooper working the Thanksgiving holiday safety emphasis patrol.

They were riding together, one directly behind the other, passing cars as they used every lane to get through traffic.

The trooper was able to follow the motorcycles in the left lane at speeds exceeding110 mph, but when they increased their speed to 125 mph and became even more erratic in their lane changes in an effort to flee, he pulled back and radioed ahead to alert other troopers in the area.

Several minutes later, a trooper on I-405 near State Route 167 in Renton observed the motorcycles approaching on the freeway. The trooper moved onto I-405 from the shoulder into the middle lane. Both motorcycles pulled behind the trooper.

As the trooper pulled over, one motorcycle followed him and stopped. He was arrested and also identified the other driver.

Troopers then contacted the home of the fleeing motorcycle rider and met him at the door, still in his riding gear. The 20-year-old Auburn man was arrested for reckless driving, attempting to elude a police vehicle and driving on a suspended driver's license.

Both drivers were booked into the King County Jail.

Troopers escort of Packers

threatened by snowstorm

Washington State Patrol motorcycle troopers assigned to escort the Green Bay Packers football team on Nov. 27 were forced to abandon their motorcycles when they encountered the fierce winter storm that hit Western Washington.

After the nationally televised Monday Night Football game, the two troopers assigned to provide the escort to and from the football game found themselves victims of the snowstorm, as did many other motorists.

The weather, while in the low 40-degree range, was cold but within departmental parameters under which the police motorcycles could operate when the mounted troopers escorted the Packers from their downtown Seattle hotel to Qwest Field for the game.

Concerned that a game time snowstorm might worsen, the troopers checked the road conditions with their dispatcher and were told that the conditions were deteriorating. They decided to quickly leave Qwest Field, drive home and get their patrols cars, and return before the game was over to escort the Packers to Boeing Field.

As the troopers reached Southcenter, however, traffic had ground to a halt and the snow was a raging blizzard. The troopers crept along with legs extended as training wheels got off Interstate 5 at Southcenter Boulevard, unable to continue.

The troopers left their motorcycles at the mall, were picked up by another trooper in the area and transported to the State Patrol office to get two patrol cars.

They troopers quickly returned to the game in time to escort the Packers to Boeing Field.

The troopers returned to the mall the next day, towing a motorcycle trailer, and retrieved their police motorcycles.

Compiled by Ralph Nichols