by KOMO News Staff
Mon, July 31st 2023, 6:06 AM PDT
A map shows the general area where a 14-year-old was hit and killed by the Seattle Center Monorail on Sunday, July 30, 2023. Seattle police said the boy had climbed onto a roof and was "spray painting a building adjacent to the tracks prior to being struck." (KOMO News)
A Seattle police officer at the scene where a 14-year-old boy was fatally struck by the Seattle Center Monorail near the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Denny Way on Sunday, July 30, 2023. (KOMO News)
Seattle Fire Department crews respond to the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Denny Way after a 14-year-old boy was hit and killed by the Seattle Center Monorail on Sunday, July 30, 2023. (KOMO News)
Seattle police and fire crews respond to the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Denny Way after a 14-year-old boy was hit and killed by the Seattle Center Monorail on Sunday, July 30, 2023. (KOMO News)
A Seattle Fire Department ambulance responds to the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Denny Way after a 14-year-old boy was hit and killed by the Seattle Center Monorail on Sunday, July 30, 2023. (KOMO News)
Crews with the Seattle Fire Department respond to an area near the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Denny Way after a 14-year-old boy was hit and killed by the Seattle Center Monorail on Sunday, July 30, 2023. (KOMO News)
A Seattle Police Department patrol vehicle blocks off a street near the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Denny Way after a 14-year-old boy was hit and killed by the Seattle Center Monorail on Sunday, July 30, 2023. (KOMO News)
SEATTLE — A 14-year-old boy was hit and killed by the Seattle Center Monorail Sunday night.
The Seattle Police Department (SPD) said the juvenile was hit by the Monorail around 9 p.m. Sunday near the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Denny Way. The elevated rail is 30 feet off the ground in it's highest spots according the the Monorail website.
"Actually getting hit by one, that’s crazy. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that," said Steve Shelton, who lives in downtown Seattle.
The SPD said officers looked at video of the incident and said the boy had climbed onto a roof and was “spray painting a building adjacent to the tracks prior to being struck.”
Part of that building houses a law firm, one of the employees who asked not to be identified described the incident this way: "It's unfortunate that this tragedy happened...it's just tragic this person had to die this way, it's terrible."
He's worked at the firm for 15 years and said in recent years the building has become "a magnet for graffiti" and has become a weekly sometimes daily issue.
"We try to keep our building presentable for our clients in downtown Seattle, but it's a daily struggle to get rid of the graffiti," he said.
The building's exterior brick wall along 5th Avenue is covered in graffiti and there is some on the building's rooftop. Some of the graffiti above includes a section of the monorail's concrete guide way and tracks spray painted in three places. There are multiple signs on the roof warning to stay away from the monorail and lists a phone number to call.
Monday morning workers found a backpack in the corner of the rooftop near where the teen was prior to being hit. They gave it to police who continue to investigate.
"That’s really disheartening," said Jenna Rogan, who was visiting Seattle from Salt Lake City. "There’s an energy that’s really palpable right now and it has been since we’ve been in town and as a artist personally that’s pretty heartbreaking."
Officers arrived at the scene and found the 14-year-old unresponsive. Crews with the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) attempted life-saving measures, but the boy was pronounced dead at the scene.
A SFD spokesperson initially told KOMO News Sunday night that the person who was killed was an “approximately 20-year-old male.” The SPD confirmed the person who was killed was a 14-year-old Monday afternoon.
The Seattle Monorail, which runs along Fifth Avenue between Seattle Center and Westlake Center in downtown Seattle, remained closed for the rest of night after the incident. The Monorail reopened Monday morning.
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KOMO News reached out to Seattle Center for a comment on the situation:
"We want to offer our condolences to the family and friends of the person involved. Safety is our number one priority; we take this event very seriously and are fully cooperating with the authorities in their investigation of this incident. As an active investigation is underway, we have no further comment at this time."
SPD detectives and the King County Medical Examiner arrived at the scene to investigate.
Source (Archive)
Mon, July 31st 2023, 6:06 AM PDT
A map shows the general area where a 14-year-old was hit and killed by the Seattle Center Monorail on Sunday, July 30, 2023. Seattle police said the boy had climbed onto a roof and was "spray painting a building adjacent to the tracks prior to being struck." (KOMO News)
A Seattle police officer at the scene where a 14-year-old boy was fatally struck by the Seattle Center Monorail near the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Denny Way on Sunday, July 30, 2023. (KOMO News)
Seattle Fire Department crews respond to the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Denny Way after a 14-year-old boy was hit and killed by the Seattle Center Monorail on Sunday, July 30, 2023. (KOMO News)
Seattle police and fire crews respond to the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Denny Way after a 14-year-old boy was hit and killed by the Seattle Center Monorail on Sunday, July 30, 2023. (KOMO News)
A Seattle Fire Department ambulance responds to the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Denny Way after a 14-year-old boy was hit and killed by the Seattle Center Monorail on Sunday, July 30, 2023. (KOMO News)
Crews with the Seattle Fire Department respond to an area near the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Denny Way after a 14-year-old boy was hit and killed by the Seattle Center Monorail on Sunday, July 30, 2023. (KOMO News)
A Seattle Police Department patrol vehicle blocks off a street near the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Denny Way after a 14-year-old boy was hit and killed by the Seattle Center Monorail on Sunday, July 30, 2023. (KOMO News)
SEATTLE — A 14-year-old boy was hit and killed by the Seattle Center Monorail Sunday night.
The Seattle Police Department (SPD) said the juvenile was hit by the Monorail around 9 p.m. Sunday near the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Denny Way. The elevated rail is 30 feet off the ground in it's highest spots according the the Monorail website.
"Actually getting hit by one, that’s crazy. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that," said Steve Shelton, who lives in downtown Seattle.
The SPD said officers looked at video of the incident and said the boy had climbed onto a roof and was “spray painting a building adjacent to the tracks prior to being struck.”
Part of that building houses a law firm, one of the employees who asked not to be identified described the incident this way: "It's unfortunate that this tragedy happened...it's just tragic this person had to die this way, it's terrible."
He's worked at the firm for 15 years and said in recent years the building has become "a magnet for graffiti" and has become a weekly sometimes daily issue.
"We try to keep our building presentable for our clients in downtown Seattle, but it's a daily struggle to get rid of the graffiti," he said.
The building's exterior brick wall along 5th Avenue is covered in graffiti and there is some on the building's rooftop. Some of the graffiti above includes a section of the monorail's concrete guide way and tracks spray painted in three places. There are multiple signs on the roof warning to stay away from the monorail and lists a phone number to call.
Monday morning workers found a backpack in the corner of the rooftop near where the teen was prior to being hit. They gave it to police who continue to investigate.
"That’s really disheartening," said Jenna Rogan, who was visiting Seattle from Salt Lake City. "There’s an energy that’s really palpable right now and it has been since we’ve been in town and as a artist personally that’s pretty heartbreaking."
Officers arrived at the scene and found the 14-year-old unresponsive. Crews with the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) attempted life-saving measures, but the boy was pronounced dead at the scene.
A SFD spokesperson initially told KOMO News Sunday night that the person who was killed was an “approximately 20-year-old male.” The SPD confirmed the person who was killed was a 14-year-old Monday afternoon.
The Seattle Monorail, which runs along Fifth Avenue between Seattle Center and Westlake Center in downtown Seattle, remained closed for the rest of night after the incident. The Monorail reopened Monday morning.
Tweet (Archive)
KOMO News reached out to Seattle Center for a comment on the situation:
"We want to offer our condolences to the family and friends of the person involved. Safety is our number one priority; we take this event very seriously and are fully cooperating with the authorities in their investigation of this incident. As an active investigation is underway, we have no further comment at this time."
SPD detectives and the King County Medical Examiner arrived at the scene to investigate.
Source (Archive)
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