We’re still awaiting word from the Washington State Patrol on the cause of the accident, or whether there were any injuries or fatalities, and when we do we’ll update this post.

We sent Photographer Michael Brunk over, and he shot these pics:

Ospreys are also sometimes known as ‘Seahawks‘ due to their ability to hunt fish so well, so this is an appropriate new neighbor to have.

Scott Schaefer managed to take some pics of the large bird, which at one point left its nest and was quickly pursued by crows in a mini-dogfight over the freeway:

According to National Geographic:

Ospreys are superb fishers and indeed eat little else—fish make up some 99 percent of their diet. Because of this appetite, these birds can be found near ponds, rivers, lakes, and coastal waterways around the world. Ospreys hunt by diving to the water’s surface from some 30 to 100 feet (9 to 30 meters) up. They have gripping pads on their feet to help them pluck fish from the water with their curved claws and carry them for great distances. In flight, ospreys will orient the fish headfirst to ease wind resistance.

We found it somewhat odd that a creature that makes fish 99% of its diet would be nesting this close to a freeway, but according to Doug Osterman, Green/Duwamish Watershed Coordinator for King County:

“The cell phone tower might incorporate features that are attractive to the ospreys, including that it’s higher than surrounding trees. Doubtful danger to the bird, but to the technology—unsure (sometimes utilities provide nesting opportunities with their tall poles—sometimes required by permitting agencies). Ospreys have pretty big home ranges so it’s not inconceivable that they are fishing from Puget Sound, but the more likely fish sources are the open water wetlands in the vicinity of SR-509 such as the big upper Walker Creek wetland and the wetlands north of the airport in the Miller Creek basin.”

The Washington State Patrol reports that around 12:55am Saturday morning (April 9), Mark R. Adams, 60, of Normandy Park, was killed when his car crashed into a barrier just off the S. 176th exit of southbound SR-509.

Adams’ 2003 Acura was traveling south, when he apparently took the exit and hit the barrier.

He was traveling alone in the vehicle, which was totaled. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

No other cars were involved in the accident.

The Washington State Patrol is reporting that, late Monday night (Oct. 18th), 911 dispatchers received a frantic phone call initially reporting a wrong way driver on SR-509 in Burien.

This resulted in a head-on collision, and ended with an ambulance colliding with a pedestrian thrown between several other vehicles.

In the end, the wrong-way driver, Adam Knapp, 31, of Federal Way, was killed, and five others were injured.

WSP’s report says:

At 11:53pm Monday night, an on-duty Tri-Med ambulance driver made the initial 911 call on his cell phone to report a silver Subaru had turned around and began traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of State Route 509 just south of South 128th street. The ambulance driver indicated that he lost sight of the vehicle for a moment. Immediately he reported he observed the Subaru had been involved in a head on collision followed by the report that the ambulance had struck the driver of the Subaru after he exited his vehicle.

The preliminary investigation reveals that the silver Subaru Legacy, while traveling northbound in the northbound lanes of State Route 509, turned around for an unknown reason and began traveling southbound in the northbound lanes where it very quickly struck a Ford Explorer head-on. The force of the impact sent the Subaru Legacy spinning into an Acura Integra that had been traveling northbound behind the Explorer. The driver of the Explorer, a 31-year old female from Tukwila, was taken from the scene in critical condition and her two passengers, 27 and 23-year old females both from Seattle were transported in serious condition. The driver of the Acura, a 47-year old man from Seattle and his passenger, a 43-year old female also from Seattle, were transported for chest pain. All injured parties were taken to Harborview Medical Center and their conditions are unknown at the time of this release.

State Patrol Detectives are still trying to determine the next course of events that lead the driver of the Subaru Legacy, a 31-year old man from Federal Way, to exit his badly damaged vehicle and attempt to flee the scene by jumping over the center median divider and running into the southbound lanes where he was struck by at least 4 vehicles and possibly a 5th. The 5th vehicle, a dark passenger car, reportedly left the scene without stopping. The driver of the Subaru – now fleeing pedestrian, was struck while in the southbound lanes and thrown from vehicle to vehicle finally being vaulted underneath the Tri-Med ambulance as it was attempting to pull over to assist with the collision. The Emergency Medical Technicians on board attempted to resuscitate the man but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Troopers are looking for witnesses who may have observed or have any information regarding this hit and run collision that occurred between the pedestrian and the dark colored small passenger car or small SUV.

If you have information please call Detective Stacy Moate at 425-401-7746.

Here are photos from the scene courtesy the Washington State Patrol:

Police say that at approximately 12:11pm, Haybe Ahmed, 46, of Tukwila, was driving his 1991 Toyota Camry northbound on SR-509 in lane 1 when he drove across lane 2 and collided with the left guardrail just north of 128th Street.

The guardrail, which was completely embedded inside the passenger compartment (see photos below), prevented Haybe from crossing into the southbound lanes and causing a head-on collision.

Haybe was trapped inside the vehicle until medics arrived and were able to extricate him.

Ahmed was transported to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries, and Troopers are investigating the circumstances surrounding the collision.

It is undetermined at this time if alcohol and/or drugs were a factor.

The left lanes of both northbound and southbound SR-509 were closed at 128th St for approximately 2 1⁄2 hours while troopers investigated the scene.

Here are photos from the scene courtesy WSP:

by Ralph Nichols

Burien long has wanted an interchange connecting State Route 518 with Des Moines Memorial Drive to improve access to businesses that, city officials hope, will move into the Northeast Redevelopment Area (NERA).

Now an interchange from SR 509 to NERA, located under flight paths from Sea-Tac International Airport north to S. 138th St., is also under consideration.

Burien City Manager Mike Martin said recently that any interchange on SR 509 would provide access to the Northeast Redevelopment Area.

“No one has agreed to a 509 interchange,” Martin stressed. “This is just a concept. There are only draft plans (at the city) now.” And it’s not on any to-do list at the Washington State Department of Transportation or the Puget Sound Regional Council.

Both the Port of Seattle, which owns much of the property in the area, and the city anticipate business and commercial development here within a few years. Business parks, technology and light industry, and auto sales – perhaps an auto mall, to which dealers now on 1st Ave. S. would relocate, all could play a role in the economic development of the NERA.

“This property has been blighted by the second runway and now the third runway,” Martin said. “What we are doing (by planning for a new interchange) is trying to make NERA more accessible so we can put this property back into use.”

He added that the area “is large enough to accommodate small box stores and retailers of construction materials.” But the market will determine what kind of businesses locate here. In the meantime, “we need to prepare the area to be ready for certain types of activities.”

The cost of a new interchange, including planning, design and construction, has yet to be determined, Martin said. Most of the financing probably would come from federal and state funds.

So far, he’s talked with local state legislators, “who have received the idea very warmly.”