Fatal accident in McDonald’s parking lot

Geeky Swedes Ballard

Police say a man was killed this afternoon in the McDonald’s parking lot at 14th and Market. Detective Jeff Kappel with Seattle Police tell us that a 67-year-old man died and investigators are trying to determine the cause.

Police first got the call at 12:15 p.m. When officers arrived on scene they saw the man pinned under the car. A group of officers lifted the car off the man and medics with Seattle Fire attempted to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The traffic collision investigation squad is on scene trying to determine how the car ended up on top of the victim. Kappel tells us that the 37-year-old female driver had backed out of a parking spot and headed south toward the exit when she ran over the victim. “We don’t even want to say that she hit him,” Kappel says. He says investigators are trying to determine if the man may have already been on the ground.

Geeky Swedes

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78 thoughts to “Fatal accident in McDonald’s parking lot”

  2. What a horrible accident. What could the driver have been doing to have killed someone while going through a relatively small parking lot??

  3. Pretty easy, actually. Even a low-speed collision can knock a person off his feet and onto his head. It requires only that the driver be an inattentive moron. And how many times have we all seen some reprehensible idiot get into his car and start talking on his cell phone while starting to drive out of a lot?

  4. “The restaurant remains open.”

    Nice. I can hear an order transaction right now…..

    McD: “OK. Big Mac & a large Coke.”
    Customer: “Hey, what's that out on the pavement? Is that blood?”
    McD: “Yeah, dead body. …You want fries with that?”

    Classy.

  6. Driving way too fast probably. I've seen people drive pretty fast through that parking lot or come around the corner too fast. Not to mention, many of the people walking in and out of that McDonalds really don't pay attention to the cars around them. I drive like a little old lady and even I've come close to hitting people in that parking lot.

    very sad though. :(

  7. in this area, it could also be an extremely drunk pedestrian moving unpredictably. But we're all speculating like crazy…let's see what the briefing says, I guess.

  10. Dude, it's lunch time. They got two two other enterances and the drive thru. You can go around the body, not like you have to step over it.

    Yeah, I want fries with that.

  12. One of the worst accidents I've seen was in a parking lot and neither car was going faster than 15-20mph. A head on collision where neither driver had their seatbelt on and this was in the days before airbags were on all cars. Both drivers suffered serious head wounds and one of them was in a coma for a while. Besides not having their seatbelts on, neither of them were doing anything particularly moronic, they just couldn't see each other around the truck parked at the end of the line.
    This incident today should be a strong reminder that parking lots can be more dangerous than the streets.

  25. I drove through the drive thru shortly after this happened before police arrived. The driver had been backing out and the man was run over by the back tires. He appeared to be a street or homeless looking person from the looks of his clothes. It was very frightening to view this especially since I had a small child in the car with me. The worst part were the people working the drive thru saying to another co-worker, “go take a picture with my phone.”

  27. woah. i just drove by there and saw a cop car parked in the median on 14th and wondered what he was doing there.

    i guess everyone will think its funny or somesuch if the victim turns out to be a homeless guy, but i think its sad either way. think of the poor woman who hit/ran the guy over, also.

    bunch of ghouls i tell you.

  29. So you damaged someone else's property because they revved their engine at you? And now you're bragging about your crime here? This is what's really wrong with Ballard…

  30. So you damaged someone else's property because they revved their engine at you? And now you're bragging about your crime here? This is what's really wrong with Ballard…

  31. WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?

    Perhaps you should go to sweedes and ask her to post your story on the front page with the head line. “Jerk Throws Rock at Another Jerk”

    The scene you describes sounds like the start of a zombie movie. You know the first 5 minutes where they set the premise showing how thoroughly ruined our beautiful world has become. You painted it so vividly, I can even imagine some dialogue like you'd say “I only got his door, but if he comes back, I'll bash his brains in” Then you and the missus would walk over to McDonalds, and as you walk up to the counter you'd be confused as to why some pimply faced kid in his McDonalds uniform runs past you out the door in a panic, and you'd keep walking but look at him and say “I wonder what's eating him”, and then you'd turn to face the counter where some crazy zombie McDonalds employee would bite your face off and you'd scream out…….. whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa and your woman would run out the door to find that green caddy kid waiting for you looking for a fight cause you dented his door, and your wife would get in his car, and she'd shout “drive away, drive away, just drive” and the green caddy kid would be like “shut up you crazy b*tch, just chill out what's wrong?” and dead zombie you sans face would come running towards the car, and the caddy kid would be like ” dude you just bit off more than you could chew” and he'd puff up his chest and run at you, and you'd eat off his face….. the opening credits would role, and play some horrible greenday cover of willie nelson, and the viewer would think wow, our world used to be so good, but we went and mass produced the crap out of everything debased our humanity to the point of total destruction.

  35. What crime? He tried to run the people over. It's really funny to speed up and try to hit somebody in the crosswalk. Hopefully it won't happen to you.

  38. Vandalizing someone's property by throwing a rock at it is a crime. He never ran you over, and hence he broke no laws. You, on the other hand, took your anger and frustration, deliberately picked up a rock and threw it directly and intentionally at his vehicle. And now you're a criminal.

    You would have needed time to think about what you were going to do, bend over to pick up the rock, and throw it. That means he wasn't even at the intersection when you made your plan. So before this really came to a head you made a plan to commit a crime. And you can't claim self-defense; by saying you threw it at his driver's side door, you're admitting that you were already across the road and he could pass safely.

    You're a menace.

  44. I'm glad I never drove past you with my old truck. The transmission would slip every now and then and the engine would rev a little even if I wasn't accelerating.

  49. I'd like to think that I would notice a dead guy behind my car before I get in. Maybe the victim thought he'd get some quick insurance cash by planting himself after she got in her car.

  51. Actually, vehicular assault is a crime. And gunning your engine and speeding up to hit someone falls into the category of attempted vehicular assault. In fact, in a situation like that if Name had shot at the driver he might have gotten off on self-defense because the driver had opportunity and ability to cause harm to Name and his wife (and motive too whatever the heck that was!). Just sayin.

  56. So – someone was killed. You have no idea why. Is the first thing to do to call them a moron? Nice way to give some support to their family! Do we know the driver could have avoided it? Come on, is there nothing that brings some compassion, or maybe just some uncertainty, that trumps the impulse to throw an anonymous insult?

  58. Name is the only one we're hearing from, and since he already admitted to a crime and has an obvious bias, we can't exactly trust his word. If you would throw a rock at somebody's car, you would probably tell a lie to cover your ass.

  62. I want to say,I was a day late and a dollar short,haveing gone to Waldgrens to shop,returning an hour after the “accident”.
    Some observations,and gleanings from the ghouls:
    1)He was apparently an “persistent public enebriate” that was known by sight by many nearby,but no name.
    2)he was just discharged from hospital,wearing an i.d.bracelet.
    3)His next-o-kin are being contacted first.
    4)He was allowed to lie inert cold clay for at least 2-3 hours on ground,covered,as various officious inividuals processed the nearby articles/car as an homicide scene.
    (I believe,if he'd been wearing an audemar piguet watch & gucci shoes,it might have speeded up the wheels of functionaries acting out.)
    5)It seems,many incognito city officials/poobahs took their time observeing,drinking coffee,and watching each other/other's backs.
    6)At least 5 or 6 city/county vehicles were sitting around the lot,blocking traffic.motors running,along with two-three “under-cover”detective cars,v.i.p.'s'cars,and some ambulance chaseing lawyer's cars.
    customers were forced top park outside the lot,enter by an door within the drive-through lane;thus,virtually guaranteeing more conflicting paths crossing between car drivers rubber-necks w/food,phones..& lowly peasants on foot.
    “robo-bum one”

  63. 1. The driver didn't yield to pedestrians, so he broke the law.
    2.I live by Ballard high school, and there are quite a few cars I would like to put a dent in, if not a few skulls. I have 3 kids, and dogs, and see drivers heading up the street at 40 MPH or more. If a dent prevents a death, or gets someone to think about the consequences of their reckless driving, I'll take it.

  64. Nah, I just think we should be able to see the real identity of the people who post the really callous comments. Post their photo, real name, home and work address.

  65. Let's say something nice about a whole lot of cops who got together to LIFT A CAR OFF OF A VICTIM! Really amazing, sorry that it was too late.

  66. My friend and I drove past the scene when the man was still on the ground with the white sheet over him…….. and then to hear the vague story that goes with it all just breaks my heart even more.
    My heart goes out to his family

  67. SPD should be commended for stepping in/stepping up. It was both the police officers and firefighters at the scene who lifted the car – a joint effort.

  68. This thread is a good indicator of why there is so much conflict. A person was killed here. It was someone's family member. Whatever hisher lot in life, they are dead. Where is a tad of compassion and respect?

  70. Failing to yield the right of away is a crime. Deliberating trying to run someone down is also a crime. Assaulting someone with a car is no different than assaulting someone with a gun.

  71. “He never ran you over, and hence he broke no laws.”

    They don't have to hit you to break a law. Try learning to drive sometime. It's clueless twats like you that end up killing 40,000 people a year in this country. The law VERY clearly says you yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. Also keep in mind a crosswalk is considered to be any intersection – doesn't matter if the white lines are painted or not.

  72. You can only use deadly force as a last resort. If you're able to jump out of the way but open fire instead self-defense isn't going to fly. OTOH, there have been several cases where the police have shot and killed drivers who appeared to be trying to run them down and been cleared on grounds of self defense.

    Throwing a rock at some wannabe thugs cars is probably a pretty dumb idea. You never know who has a gun.

  74. Twat? Really? You are so angry and so sure that the man who committed a crime isn't also lying that you're going to roll in the mud and call names like a child?

    This is why our neighborhood is less than ideal. Rude, ignorant people like you acting inconsiderately towards their neighbors.

  75. First, you're the one who is ignorant. Read your own words: “He never ran you over, and hence he broke no laws.” Regardless of what happened with the original poster, this clearly demonstrates you: 1) Don't know the law and 2) Have little concern for the safety of pedestrians. Why should I be polite to someone who has clearly demonstrated they don't know the rules of the road and has little concern for the safety of others?

  76. I was referring to Name's very specific situation. What in the world would make you assume that I was making a global generalization that applied to all situations everywhere?

    Why should you be polite? I'll give you a few great reasons.

    1. You are an adult.
    2. You wish to carry on a mature, productive conversation.
    3. You may have misunderstood what was said, and wouldn't want to torch the entire conversation because of it.
    4. It's a small world, and we may have to meet in person some day. You may even need something from someone you burned.
    5. We are neighbors with a common goal, and you have enough respect for that goal that you put aside petty differences in order to achieve it.
    6. You have basic manners.
    7. You wish to be known as a courteous, polite person.
    8. You hold yourself to a higher standard of civility.

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