Detectives from the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad (TCIS) were called out Sunday afternoon to investigate a serious injury vehicular assault hit and run incident in West Seattle.
On Sunday, March 4th, at about 3:30 pm, a Nissan Pathfinder, occupied by a 54-year-old male driver and a 45-year-old female passenger, was traveling westbound in the 9400 block of Olson Place Southwest. At about the same time, a utility van towing a large trailer was traveling eastbound on Olson Place Southwest. The Nissan crossed over the center line and collided with the utility van. The collision caused the Nissan to spin around and face eastbound. The driver of the van was not injured. The driver of the Nissan then drove approximately a quarter of a mile away from the scene of the collision, finally stopping on 1st Avenue South, just west of the Highway 509 on-ramp.
The female passenger in the Nissan was seriously injured and transported to Harborview Medical Center (HMC) via Seattle Fire medics. The male driver of the Nissan was also transported to HMC, and evaluated at the hospital by a Drug-Recognition Expert officer and it was determined that he was impaired. After the driver was treated at HMC, he was booked into the King County Jail for investigation of vehicular assault. The female passenger remains in the hospital.
TCIS detectives will continue to handle the follow-up investigation.