Man’s 50-foot fall from I-5 overpass raises questions about freeway homeless camps
Sep 5, 2014, 3:10 PM | Updated: 4:03 pm
Police continue investigating whether a man fell or was pushed off a 50-foot overpass in downtown Seattle Friday morning.
The man suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported to Harborview Medical Center after plunging to the I-5 express lane offramp at James Street, according to the Seattle Fire Department.
It’s the second such incident in recent weeks involving a person falling onto I-5. On August 30, a man fell about 15 feet from an overpass near the Cherry St. exit.
The area is frequented by dozens of homeless who have set up tents and camps along the freeway, cutting through or climbing around fencing meant to keep them out.
A number of suicides have been reported in the area in recent years as people jump off the overpasses, according to the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog. But a number of falls have involved people climbing around the area to access the off-limits areas.
It’s illegal for them to camp out along the freeways. So why are so many allowed to stay?
Travis Phelps, a spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Transportation, says officials can only do so much to keep them out.
“We do our best,” Phelps says. “From time to time, we get together with local law enforcement to clear out encampments and connect people with social services.”
But Phelps says almost immediately after a camp is cleared, the homeless return.
“We do our best to keep those folks out. It comes down to we can’t be everywhere at once. In addition, clearing out a lot of these camps costs money.”
Phelps says the WSDOT spends upwards of $250,000 a year to clear and clean the homeless camps.
“We are always looking at what can be done, but we are limited,” he says. “It’s a much bigger issue than just putting up a fence.”
While the homeless are breaking the law whenever they camp along the freeway, police only take action when asked by the WSDOT. Seattle Police detective Drew Fowler says simply clearing them out does little.
“We have to look to our elected officials and society and culture as a whole to work towards finding a more final solution. Simply displacing someone doesn’t necessarily create a fix or a long-term solution.”
Fowler says police continue working with local leaders, social service providers, and others to seek more permanent answers.
