On July 21st, at approximately 4:40 AM, Seattle Police responded to a call of a one vehicle serious injury collision in a roadway construction zone on SR 99 Alaskan Way Viaduct near South Spokane Street. SR99 was closed northbound overnight for road work. At about 4:40 AM a driver approached the closure point at East Marginal Way South and South Nevada Street and spoke with one of the construction workers. The driver was told that the road was closed, but the driver refused to turn around. The driver then sped past the closure point and up on to the viaduct. A short distance north of South Spokane Street, the entire roadway was blocked by construction equipment, forcing the driver to turn around. According to witnesses, the vehicle was travelling southbound in the northbound lanes. When the vehicle got to the eastbound Spokane Street bridge-to-northbound SR99 ramp, it struck the solid concrete gore point between the two elevated roadways, flipped over, and came to rest on its roof. Seattle Fire responded and extricated the driver, a 70 year old male, who was then transported to Harborview Medical Center with serious injuries.
Northbound SR99 was due to reopen from its overnight construction closure at 5:00 AM, but remained closed for the collision investigation. Detectives from the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad responded and are responsible for the investigation. The roadway was fully opened at 7:50 AM.