Seattle police officers are investigating after a driver ran a red light, causing a multi-vehicle traffic crash in North Seattle this afternoon.
At about 1:30 p.m., patrol officers responded to reports of a collision in the intersection of Aurora Avenue North and North 130th Street. There, officers found multiple damaged vehicles, including an overturned van, blocking traffic with debris scattering the roadway.
The Seattle Fire Department (SFD) arrived and treated multiple patients, ranging from six to 63 years old, including a man trapped inside of the van, and the woman responsible for the collision. Ambulance crews took the patients to Harborview Medical Center (HMC) and Northwest Hospital for further treatment.
Police determined that the erratic driver, experiencing mental/behavioral health crisis, drove northbound on Aurora in the bus lane, before running a red light, sideswiping a car, and striking a van causing it to flip onto its side, before crashing into three more vehicles idling in traffic.
While investigating the crash, officers discovered that multiple people called into 911 reporting the erratic driver. Police did not arrest the driver, yet she was sent to HMC for evaluation. The investigating officer cited her for multiple traffic violations.
Police towed the woman’s car, and the overturned van from the scene. Traffic re-opened nearly two hours after the crash.
Incident Number: 2025-315842