All about the West Seattle neighborhood around Beach Drive
This morning just after 6:00 am, a car was struck along the 4800 block of Beach Drive. Apparently the driver who struck the car, took off on foot heading north onto properties on the 4700 block of Beach Drive.
A person wearing a hoodie was seen on a home camera walking along seawalls heading north towards Emma Schmitz Viewpoint.
A second person wearing a light jacket was also seen on a camera on property on the 4700 block of Beach Drive near the same time.
No injuries were reported.
UPDATE: Video from a neighbor shows this happened around 1:36 AM on Friday morning. Please check your video to see if you have anything you can share with the neighbor whose vehicle was struck.
Sometime last night or early this morning, a car struck a dark grey Toyota 4-Runner on the west side of the 4700 Block of Beach Drive.
We are assuming that whoever struck the vehicle probably has damage to their passenger side.
If you have any information on who may have done this, please contact us.
Thank you!
Some neighbors who live on the 5000 block of Beach Drive are reporting hearing 405 gunshots last night (Friday, January 20, 2023) around 8:35 pm.
If you live between 5000-5100 blocks of Beach Drive, neighbors are asking you to please check your outdoor security cameras around that time and share any additional information with the SPD.
Last Friday, a couple Beach Drive neighbors near Mee Kwa Mooks Park encountered a woman who was mentally not well. She broke into a small boat that was covered on a property and really made a mess of it… I’ll spare you the details. Half-naked, she locked herself in a porta-potty for hours and the police were unable to do anything about it. She left behind a backpack with stolen property which has since been returned to the owners.
Not to long before this event, we had a neighbor ask what can be done about people who are staying along Beach Drive in their campers, cars or camping in Mee Kwa Mooks Park. Lisa Herbold’s office recommends:
There are three ways to file a complaint regarding the concerns like garbage removal, needles, or to report an unauthorized encampment (either tent encampment or RVs)
- online: Service Request Form
- mobile: Find It, Fix It mobile app
- phone: 206-684-2489 (CITY)
I want to make sure that you understand the types of responses that may (or may not) result when you file a complaint.
Here are some possible resources for people who are experiencing homelessness or crisis in Seattle.
Of course, if you are in danger or if a crime is being committed, call 9-1-1.
Please keep an eye out for this Ford F350 that was stolen last nigh off Beach Drive. 
Published with permission from Ring.
NOTE: This post has been updated as we receive additional information.
We’re being told that during the wee hours on Tuesday, a vehicle hit a parked car at Me Kwa Mooks before speeding off. A witness or someone with knowledge of the incident says it was a Toyota (not sure of the model) going about 60 mph before it lost control, striking the Suburu in the photo, then careening west towards the water before coming to a stop. The driver reportedly exited the car, pulling out guns and fleeing the scene. The Toyota has been removed. [UPDATE: We have been informed by neighbors that SPD had the Toyota towed.]
This is a popular spot for people living in their cars. Luckily the Suburu was just parked without anyone inside at the time of the accident. It’s this reporter’s opinion that the parked car may have saved people from possible severe injury or death.
UPDATE August 20, 2020: From a Beach Drive Neighbor.
A neighbor suggests that we should check security videos for information to help the SPD.
We first learned of the hit and run from a friend who lives on Aikins Ave SW. She was awakened around 3AM Tuesday morning by the sound of screeching tires and then a loud crash. Shortly after, she heard voices of what she believed to be two men speaking loudly and sounding impaired, one asking the other if he was ok. She thought the voices were coming from somewhere on Chilberg. She surmised they probably fled on foot up Genessee to Chilberg so may have been between Genessee and Douglas Street. As soon as she heard sirens the talking stopped. She was wondering if anyone in that area has security cameras that may have captured a photo of the men. That may help the SPD with identification if they don’t already know the suspects. Perhaps you could add a comment to the story asking neighbors in that area to check their security recordings.
Scupper for the BDB.
Photo credit: Scupper.
Update: Here’s another photo provided by the home owner showing two prowlers.
At 5:18 am this morning, a neighbor’s Ring (video system) caught a potential prowler appearing search for hidden keys to gain access to the home just off Beach Drive on Jacobsen Road.
You can view the video here. If you recognize this person, please call 9-1-1.
From Nextdoor.com, printed with permission:
“We had the police in our yard this morning at 4:40 am. We live on the 6000 block of Beach Drive. They arrested a man was coming out of our beach house. Evidently he had been trying to break in to several houses north of us and one had a ring doorbell. That provided a picture of the dude. The scary part was that he had a 10 inch butcher knife. We have a ring doorbell, but I think we are going to invest in more surveillance equipment!”
Back in late April, neighbors on 4700 block of Beach Drive found a man walking along the private bulkhead coming from the south (quite a ways from public beach access) with a full back pack. This was also reported to the police.
Stay safe, Neighbors!
A crew from the City of Seattle are out this morning measuring the newly reinstalled speed bumps along the 4700 block of Beach Drive. I tried to talk to one of the gentlemen who seemed to be supervising, however he was less than chatty. He told me the group is there to measure “tolerances”. As I was not able to pry another word out of him, I’m assuming this was to see if if the humps can be raised higher while allowing emergency vehicles to “tolerate” the bumps.
I told him that the neighbors would really like to see more done on this stretch of Beach Drive as it’s often difficult to cross the street and unsafe with how some drivers use it as a freeway to and from Alki. I pretty much just received a blank stare. Maybe next time I’ll bring them coffee. 😉
A few days ago, KOMO4 news addressed the speed cushions and how the neighborhood is less than impressed with the effectiveness. It’s my guess that their coverage is what dragged the City back to the bumps.
Bumps, humps or cushions, it doesn’t matter to me what the term is, we need more done to stop the speeding and the passing that is constantly taking place in our neighborhood. Two nights ago, while walking our dogs, a neighbor and I witnessed two cars passing two cars flying north on Beach Drive. If someone would have been trying to cross the street, they would have had nowhere to run to get out of the way.
I hope that it doesn’t take a serious accident to have the City take real action to make Beach Drive a safer road for all of us. I don’t think that raising the cushions an inch is going to help deter the speeders – especially when they just scoot to the center of the road where the slope is lower (as it’s intentionally designed for emergency vehicles).
Is it time for our neighborhood to create a community organization to address issues like this?
The long awaited speed bumps are being installed along Beach Drive between SW Angeline and Beach Drive Terrace SW.
We can all take a deep breath and relax with total faith knowing that these traffic calming improvements are going to slow down the speeders.
Or will they? They don’t appear to be enough to slow down a Suburu appearing to go the speed limit prior to flying over the bumps. So why are the bumps so minute?
Beach Drive is considered a main road and the new asphalt bumps are apparently as high as they are allowed for emergency vehicles.
We’ll see if the speed bumps provides Beach Drive any calm with the increased summer time speedy cruisers.
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