Just before 5am Thursday morning (Dec. 30th), a Washington State Trooper received minor injuries when a Burien-based DUI driver lost control of his truck into a collision scene on northbound I-405 just north of I-5.

According to police, the trooper was standing about 15 feet off of the roadway checking for injuries next to collision-damaged vehicles when he observed rotating headlights moving toward him. As a red Ford Pickup truck careened off the road it struck the trooper and two vehicles that had already been involved in a collision. The trooper was treated for minor injuries.

The pickup driver, 46 year old Stephen Merrill of Burien, was arrested and booked into King County jail under investigation of DUI/drugs. No other injuries were reported from this collision.

Drivers are urged to reduce speed whenever there is a possibility of icy roadways. Sudden braking, acceleration and turning that may cause vehicles to lose traction can often be avoided by reducing speed.

The Washington State Patrol reports that two men were injured in a single-car crash in Burien Friday night around 8:20pm.

According to the report, a 45-year-old Burien man was attempting to exit to South 160th Street while heading northbound on SR-509. His vehicle veered off the roadway to the left, struck a tree and ended up resting between the tree and a guardrail.

The driver and his passenger, a 68-year-old SeaTac man, were transported with injuries to Harborview Medical Center.

Both men were said to be wearing seatbelts, and the car was totaled.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but police report that drugs or alcohol were definitely involved.

Robin Dunkle of BTB Advertiser Howard and Marge Clothing (who recently spearheaded a meal drive) just sent us the following update on Jason Sanders of “The Bean” espresso, who broke his pelvis in a head-on collision in California in late December:

Our “MAN” Jason Sander’s from The Bean Espresso is doing great!

He is recovering nicely.

His Dr. gave the a-okay to use his walker and he is not required to use his wheelchair unless he needs to.

His pelvis had several fractures and now he is told by the Dr. he is about 90% healed on right side and 25% on left.

You can’t keep Jason down – he is in great spirits and very appreciative to all who have contributed to his aid in recovery.

Robin also reminds us that Howard and Marge is having a special Valentine’s Bash Party & Trunk Show this Thursday night (Feb. 12th) from 5pm-9pm, featuring:

• Valentine Treats
• Delicious Bites
• Drinks & Bubbly
• Raffle for an awesome Valentine’s Gift Bag filled with unbelievable Goodies and Surprises. Raffle will be called @ 7:30pm, and you must be present to win.
• Girls, bring your Guys! The guys will enjoy shopping our unique selection of men’s threads 25% – 50% off while getting Valentine Gift ideas for their Ladies!

All of us here at the B-Town Blog send our positive, healing thoughts to Jason, who we hope to see soon back at The Bean!

The fire, in the 400 block of SW 155th Street, was reported at about 12:45am Sunday morning.

“I heard an explosion and glass shattering,” said Lisa Johnson, who a resident of the apartment building. “So I automatically had my granddaughter with me and came out.”

“The streets were just filled with people running and screaming … and the apartment was in flames,” she said.

The first fire crews roared in, sirens wailing and horns blaring, to find a two-story apartment building with heavy fire and smoke pouring from the front of the building, said Dave Nelson, spokesman for King County Fire District 20.

The two-alarm blaze quickly escalated to a three-alarm fire when an adjacent apartment building’s roof caught fire, and more fire crews were needed to battle the spreading flames.

Kenneth Mason, who lives nearby, came running when he saw the crackling flames and that’s when he spotted five people, including a baby, trapped behind a jammed-shut glass door in the burning building.

Mason yelled at a woman in the trapped group.

“I said, ‘Get out! Get out! There’s a fire! There’s a fire!’ and she said, ‘We can’t get out!’ And my friend Sam grabbed a big old brick and went and busted the glass door,” he said.

“And they threw the baby out and gave me the baby, and the rest of the guys came out – and then the fire really got bad.”

Amid the mayhem, a teenage girl jumped from a second-story window in another part of the building, suffering injuries.

Ladder trucks from Tukwila and Renton were able to pour water from above while King County firefighters took a defensive position to stop the fire from spreading to two other buildings.

The first building was completely destroyed and the second building suffered major damage.

Six people were treated at area hospitals, including the girl who jumped from her window. Other injuries include burns and smoke inhalation.

As of Sunday morning, fire officials were still accounting for occupants of both buildings. Many people went with family and friends and to Highline Medical Center to be with family members who were injured.

No firefighters were injured battling the fire.

Firefighters from around South King County assisted in fighting the fire including Renton, Tukwila, Kent, Seatac, South King Fire and Rescue, North Highline, King County Medic One, King County Fire District 20, Seattle and King County Sheriff Fire Marshals Office.

The Seattle Chapter of the American Red Cross is assisting nearly 50 displaced people and sheltering them at a local school.

Firefighters will remain on scene to assist in the investigation.

At this time due to the building’s weakness fire investigators will have to wait until its safe to go inside the first building to determine the cause.

Damage estimates are not available at this time.

Stay tuned to the B-Town Blog for an online fundraising drive to help your neighbors in need.

SOURCE:

• KOMO News

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The incident occurred just before 8pm.

The boy was taken to Harborview Medical Center with serious injuries.

His name and condition are not known.

The driver fled the scene, but was discovered blocks away and taken into custody, according to police. He is under investigation for driving under the influence.

SOURCE:

• KOMO News

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