Smashed Prius windshield may not be the only one

Geeky Swedes Ballard

A Sunset Hill neighbor emailed us to say the windshield on his Prius was smashed by a baseball bat early this morning.

“A number of street-parked Prius’ windshields were targeted and smashed last night,” he says. “Ours was batted in at 12:15 a.m.” When he called police, he says the officer told him that there has been a rash of attacks on these particular vehicles. The suspect, he says, “sped off in a loud throaty-sounding SUV.”

We spoke with Renee Witt of the Seattle Police Department who confirmed that there was at least one other incident involving a Prius windshield. She said that this windshield was smashed in before midnight on Friday night, 45 minutes before the above incident. She said the owner told police that they believed a sign had been thrown on the windshield. Their back tail light was also busted out. Witt says the victim didn’t see or hear a suspect vehicle.

Geeky Swedes

The founders of My Ballard

100 thoughts to “Smashed Prius windshield may not be the only one”

  1. Did he see the suspect in an SUV or just assume it was an SUV? *rolls eyes* It could very well have been a big old truck with that “throaty sound.” Not cool about the rash of attacks, but I'd hate to think that they jumped to the conclusion that it was an SUV without actually seeing it.

  7. My relatives Toyota Camry had it's airbags stolen last night in Sunset hill… the car was even locked. They didn't realise until they drove it this afternoon… maybe the same people??? I will tell them about this post as it might be connected.

  9. It's the middle of the night and dark.
    Everyone hears two loud smashing sounds and a car alarm and looks outside. The car's owner sees a truck or SUV speed away. Two neighbors see an SUV speed away. All heard a custom loud exhaust system on the getaway vehicle. There were no other vehicles driving around here at that time. So angelatini can unroll and open his eyes now.
    Whatever the details, there are angry nut-cases out there who can't control themselves in public.
    We all should speak out when these kinds of things happen.
    There's more. At around 5 AM this morning, someone drives down the street firing a small gun 5-10 times.
    I think most of us can at least agree we don't want that kind of mentality here in Ballard, or anywhere.

  11. That is pathetic. I wonder if someone is “making” business for themselves. A friend of mine who lives in South Park had someone nail gun every street side tire on 3 or 4 blocks a couple years ago. The figured it was someone who owned a Tire store.

  13. Did they find any shells from the gun?

    It's still weird that someone would break Prius windows, SUV driver or not, fuel is pretty cheep right now.

  14. Does anybody have a better description of the vehicle that sped away? This would be really helpful, but circumstances could prevent a good look.

    So sad somebody smashed windshields-my wife has a Prius, and would be extremely freaked out at that kind of violence being done to her car.

    Idle Activist; my wife often walks to work. My own car has 12,000 miles after 5 years-you do the math. We walk a lot! Please don't generalize.

    WTF on a gun being fired at 5am!? Where was this-that's scary!

    The gun shells may not be ejected (revolver), or might not eject outside if fired from inside a vehicle, thus depriving the police of some evidence (unfortunately) of amazingly stupid criminal behavior.

  18. Freddie, if the story posted was “Ballard Auto Dealership Hit By Arson”, regarding a torched SUV, then I would respond very negatively to the criminal destruction of property, and would support efforts to catch the individual(s) and put them behind bars.

    Generalizations are usually not accurate or helpful.

    So far, no comments are supporting burning any type of vehicle, SUV or otherwise. Why/where do you see anyone supporting this idea?

    So far, the thread is regarding 3 witnesses to an SUV speeding away after criminal damage to a vehicle. I feel awful for the folks having to deal with this.

    Please try to think of those who got their windshields smashed, and in exchange I'll chime in for prosecution of the perpetrators if there's a story on SUVs being burned, ok? Criminal damage is criminal damage.

    None of us want this to happen to any of us (I would only hope).

  19. OK, then I'd label it “classic hippie idiot thinking”. Idiots either way.

    BTW, I consider myself somewhat of a redneck. But certainly not an idiot one.

  20. Speaking of big old trucks, I love that old International pick up on 65th near 32nd. I'd love to get my hands on one of those!

  22. “a loud throaty-sounding SUV.” – that's a V8 to you hippie!

    In all seriousness this kind of idiocy needs to be stamped out, surely people that dumb are easier for the cops to catch ?

  23. yeah and the car was locked, so they either had a slim jim or a master key because they didn't even know it happened until they drove….

  24. Why don't you try some reading comprehension. I said “I'd hate to think that they jumped to the conclusion.” Does that say “they made it up”? No, it doesn't. FAIL.

    This statement “sped off in a loud throaty-sounding SUV” infers that only a sound was heard…that is why I questioned if they saw it or not.

  25. I am not a man, brainiac.

    And AGAIN: The statement “sped off in a loud throaty-sounding SUV” infers that only a sound was heard…that is why I questioned if they saw it or not. God forbid I use humor that some peabrains can't grasp.

  28. That sounds personal, not random, fwiw. I'm referring to the Prius windshield.
    The small gun fire, probably random.
    Nutcases, probably not so random…

  32. Camry is a popular car for thieves, lot of them on the road so there is a huge market for parts. Airbags are a popular item as well since they aren't seen, you don't know if they were new or previously owned.

  33. It would seem that if they were able to get out a specific Toyota airbag intact that the perps would have a need for a specific Toyota airbag and the know how to pull one out intact. That they were able to do it without breaking a window or damaging the door indicates a Toyota key set…I'd be looking closely at Toyota body shops.

  34. Freddie: “Guess this is pay back for enviro-looneys slashing SUV's tires.”

    This is the idiocy that is the spark of these things. That somehow a Prius means the driver is a crazed radical leftist socialist hippie eco terrorist that needs to be taught a lesson by the proud conservative one true 'murikan SUV drivin flag wavin patriot.
    There is far too much rhetoric on the right about hating the 'other' to the point where cretins will take it to heart and go out and act on it in violent ways.
    Cue the right wingers comment about how some kid called him a fascist once, so this justifies him going after ______ with violence.

  35. A tire slashing or a military intervention costing us thousands of lives and billions of dollars to keep the oil flowing, which is worse?
    For the record I don't condone either, and yes I drove here in a vehicle that doesn't get very good mileage. I fill the tank and I realize where the money goes and what it costs to keep it coming.

  37. Your *rolls eyes* implies that you believe it is being made up, whereas, “sped of in a loud throaty sounding SUV” implies it was a loud, throaty sounding SUV. It does not imply only a sound was heard.

    So whom should learn some reading comprehension?

    I say this not to be an ass but to counter your assy response to Jesse.

  38. What we now need is a 5-day waiting period for baseball bats. C'mon people, can't we all see the danger in these? How many more incidents do we need to tolerate here? Could this be called a “hate-crime” then? We'd better call the thought police ASAP to really get to the bottom of this caper. But first: more silly blame games. School must be about ready to start, as the kids get itchy and bored. I do feel pains though. Means having to call your insurance guy ans spend some $$ now.

  39. Well, that would depend on how far the SUV drives and how much of the time the Prius is using its gasoline engine.

    But most likely, the SUV.

  40. sdrake – are you saying we shouldn't be upset because our neighbor's windshield was shattered with a baseball bat?

    I would be upset if someone did that to my Volvo station wagon, or to SeattleMedic's big … thing … that he drives.

    Aren't you kind of missing the point?

  42. sdrake,

    No 5 day waiting period for me, if you know what I mean… Can walk into Wade's and walk out w/a hand item right then & there. Apply for the right licensing and there's no 5 day wait here in WA. Hopefully only patient, responsible, calm levelheaded people do this.

    I propose banning: boards with nails, bricks, cinderblocks, golf clubs, etc. ;)

    The point is, people got their windshields smashed, and now have to pay WA state deductible (I used to live in a state that had a $50 deductible for auto insurance, for a good rate-I really miss that a LOT) on the damage-usually $250-500. Ouch!! Plus the shake up this type of property violence does to folks. Not cool.

  44. it's quite obvious that the person(s) involved don't get it that ALL of our insurance rates now increase because of this senseless act.

  46. Crikey! why do you some of you hash on each other? ugh.

    Can anyone give some details like the streets where this happened?
    I was walking home around that time and saw many cars, big ones and small ones, speeding, faster than 35, through the side streets of SH.

    I did not hear any smashing noises, nor gunshots. dang.

  47. MidWest said “…the damage-usually $250-500. Ouch!! Plus the shake up this type of property violence does to folks. Not cool.”

    Plus, no matter how good the repair place is there are always glass splinters *everywhere* in the seats, the carpeting… reminding you of the incident. Yes, it has happened to me too, long ago.

  49. I am not going to try and bother to explain the words “infer” or “sarcasm” to you. You can't hear tone of voice from my posts, and you don't know me. Apparently the reading stopped after my sarcasm, and didn't see my expressed concern…instead it turned into attack mode.

    The reason I rolled my eyes is because of the recent bike vs. car debate all over this board. I could just see it developing into SUV vs. hybrid. That is why the sarcasm. Sorry, if you couldn't “hear” that.

  56. Yeah, there's not a lot of humor or sarcasm comprehension on this board sometimes, I've noticed.
    If the person actually knows it was an suv and saw it, not only heard it, then maybe they could describe it? Perhaps that would help the cops. If they are not certain it was an suv then it's an assumption. Is that hard to understand? Not for me it isn't. That said, it sucks that some asshats are smashing windshields and it's weird that it appears to be only a particular model. Who knows why? Only the asshats I guess.

  57. oops I accidently started to write something else and they won't let me just delete it so I have to write this nonsense statement

  62. Wades sucks.

    If you are dumb enough to buy a gun there, you are paying outrageously marked up price from a staff who bilks eastsiders.

    Its also known as the Microsoft mental health care plan, google Wades and you'll see why.

  64. I'm so conflicted about that truck.

    I really loved the patina of of the multi-shades of rust that it used to have before it was repainted, on the other hand it looks so good in the new paint too.

    either way it's an awesome old truck.

  65. Clearly it's a mixed blessing when the Seattle Times has a link in their article to a MyBallard post. Good for the page hits, but bad for the quality of the comments.

  66. I'm not threatening you. I'm just betting you wouldn't say that to me, if you knew me. Especially because you'd realize that was sarcasm if you DID know me. But it proves that you jump to conclusions, yourself.

    You don't matter enough to me for me to care, for the record.

  67. Ditto,

    In broad daylight no less. Detailing really, really helped but it was expensive. Well, at least they gave me a free loaner car for the day and aside from the glass my car did need the detailing. And, just to add fuel to this fire . . . it was an SUV!!!!!!!!!!

  68. They any good? Have you or anybody else test driven one?
    I'm in the market for a new SUV; mine is 11 years and counting and it ain't getting any younger.

  71. Kitty cat,

    Referenced Wade's 'cause WSI, Sportsman's (up North on 99), Seattle Gun, plus others are all RIP. SG treated me well…

    Never bought from Wade's but it's the recognizable name these days. Has an odd vibe there, kind of gloomy, so the prices you reference make it sound even more appealing..!

  74. Ummm…Skiggley, I know that any organization trying to be conservative about our resources (Sierra Club) or conservative about our freedoms (ACLU) are demonized by conservatives. But conservatively speaking, the SUV/McMansion torchers are usually Earth Firsters, whose members would just as much like to torch the Sierra Club for engaging in nonviolent, grassroots and political means rather than more direct actions. I have yet to meet a Sierra Club member who would advocate arson.

    But, hey, it's your straw man, build it and destroy it at your leisure! I hope to see further Straw Man ™ models coming from your non-Union straw man factory in the future! Any Death Plan ideas? You could do some good work with that one.

  75. Why does anyone even use sarcasm in the comments. Sarcasm is a demeaning form of response anyway. In fact, it's actually a negative, hostile kind of humor and can,in fact, be hurtful. Why use it? Why not just have a meaningful and positive discussion in the comments arena? You can see how misunderstood and unpleasant it is by the response to it! Please…..let's just be civil in our discussions!

  76. NoraBell…..That's because you don't think like a criminal….none of us do. But we are now being told that we must start thinking like one in order to protect ourselves!! And that's really hard when one is brought up to be a responsible, law-abiding citizen!

  77. Well, it's not realistic to think people can think like a criminal though. I don't even have a car, but I'm pretty sure my mom who does have a car isn't thinking like one. We have a police department. They're the ones who are supposed to protect us yet they're normally the first to get budget cuts. More cops with more resources, so my mom doesn't have to 'think like a criminal.'

  78. We have the absolute bare minimum of a police response department. They don't actually patrol, just respond to 911 calls.
    If they pulled a few of the cops from the day shift and put them out on a night patrol one night a week around 2am they'd put an end to all this car prowling crap in a month. Instead we have a half dozen cops covering for almost a million people and we wonder why so few of the criminals get caught.

  86. I asked to have my comments removed, Chopper. :) I didn't need to be attacked anymore by people who don't understand what I wrote, and I don't need to defend it, either.

    That said, it sucks that these cars were harmed, and I am sorry I was misunderstood, and hopefully it wasn't by anyone that had their car window smashed.

  90. Because sarcasm is the best way to get the point across sometimes. It's a dangerous choice as there are often people who are just not smart enough to get it.

  91. Did you notice that the article was in the Opinion and commentary section?
    Did you notice that the stats are for 100,000 miles on a Prius vs 300,000 for a Hummer? How many Hummers are going to be around for 300k? None.
    This story is so skewed it's ludicrous.

  92. Look up info about where the materials to make the batteries for those prius cars are mined from. The strip mining operation has created one of the biggest wastelands in history with horrible acid rain, helping the environment my ass. The carbon emissions from making one prius and shipping it to the dealer is more alone than if you bought a used car and kept it mechanically sound and drove it for the rest of your life. Don’t think that electric cars are the answer. Look at hydrogen powered cars that is in my opinion the way to go for a green planet.

  93. I doubt it. This wasn't random in the choice of target. The Prius was singled out for attack because the attacker believes it stands for something. All these cranks being agitated by the anti health care reform nonsense are seething to act out. This is sadly not the last of this kind of nonsense we'll be seeing.

  94. That's the sad truth when you look into anything that is manufactured. All cars require a huge amount of materials, steel that is mined, plastics that will never decompose, the flame retardant in the seats that has now contaminated the water (and been traced all the way to breast milk).
    The advantage of the Prius is that it uses less gas, and requires less of the environmental damage associated with drilling, transporting, refining, and burning, not to mention the costs of the wars to keep it flowing. The Prius is a first step towards breaking the chain of dependence on oil, not the last step. Could the batteries be made more environmentally? Of course, and hopefully they will, but if no step is taken and we just continue to do what we've always done we will eventually run out of oil and be really stuck.
    I'd love to see hydrogen cars on the road, but unfortunately they're just not here yet, nor is the fueling infrastructure.
    Remember what the first cell phones looked like? A couple grand to buy a phone in a messenger bag that cost a buck a minute to use. Look at what we have barely two decades later. The Prius is the same thing. Eventually we will look back and laugh at it as an over priced under performer, but without it there will be no evolution to get there.
    For the record, I don't own a Prius but an SUV that I only use locally because with over 200k on it I doubt it would survive a long trip, and I also have another car, but in reality I barely put any miles on either of them since I work from home and do most of my business locally.

  95. Its because the battery on the Prius is only good for 100,000 and then you have to replace it! Further adding more to the carbon footprint. If you WERE to use your hummer for its life spam (and many people do!) it would last way longer.

    Yes, it my be opinion, however there are facts in there that are true. You can't make up that a part of Canada is so void of life that NASA uses it for rover research. Nor can you make up that they ship their parts from here to there back to here.

    None the less, its always good to look at the other side.

  97. Is it the same truck? I know the old one was hit and smashed…somehow I thought they traded the smashed one for another, slightly newer one. It hadn't occurred to me that it had been repaired! Ha. I guess the joke's on me. I should question my assumptions.

  98. Nuh uh! I don't even own one!

    I drive Flash,the wonder Volvo! Member of the Wagon Mafia!

    Flash and I drives my bosses kids to school, and pics up their groceries! Around the 'hood, I walk.

  99. Seriously? Two windshields were smashed in a big city, and your conclusion is that they did it as an anti-healthcare protest?

    … or just maybe some stupid vandals just smashed a windshield?

    Heck no… not in a throaty-sounding SUV… must've been anti-Obama, anti-healthcare evil conservatives. They probably also were smoking, and they probably hate puppies too.

    Hmmm… were there any acts of vandalism in any other cities in the US? I wonder what they *mean*?

  100. You're naive to think that multiple counts of vandalism against Priuses and only Priuses would be random.
    A month ago when this happened was the exact same time Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity, and the right wingers were getting their minions fired up to a frenzy. Do the math and stop being a putz.

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