If you have a moment, we’d like to share our pride in a fellow SDOT employee. On Sept 24, 2014, Street Use Inspector Bryan Harris was conducting a routine inspection in the 1700 block of Melrose Avenue when he heard a crashing sound.
Harris rushed over to investigate and saw that a car had crashed into a concrete wall, was immobilized, and was blocking the westbound lane of East Denny Way—a major arterial that connects traffic from Capitol Hill to downtown Seattle.
Mr. Harris was aware of the potential major traffic back-up this blockage could cause and the potential negative experience for the traveling public. He immediately took the initiative to provide emergency flagging service, to ensure the safe flow of traffic through the accident scene and minimize the potential traffic back-up. All SDOT Street Use Inspectors have had flagger training and are certified flaggers.
Harris stayed at the scene for 45 minutes, until Seattle Police Department officials arrived and relieved him. Higher priority calls in other areas kept police officers busy, delaying response to this non-injury accident. In the meantime, Harris kept traffic safely flowing. We’re proud of Mr. Harris and his instinct to serve the public.
SDOT Street Use Inspector Bryan Harris