West Seattle mom’s story of a terrifying knife attack

Sarah Hanson felt it was a rather normal day walking in West Seattle with her 5-month-old son in his stroller. Until she was suddenly attacked by a stranger with a butcher knife.

RELATED: 911 tapes released from UPS dog attack

They were on their way to the grocery store around 1 p.m. on Oct. 2, near 41st Avenue SW, Sarah told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson.

“It’s such a freak thing that happened,” she recalls. “I was walking along and I heard footsteps behind me and just figured it was another neighbor walking to the grocery store. I slowed down a little to let them pass. As they got closer — totally normal pace, nothing suspicious — all of a sudden there was a knife slashing at my head, and starting to cut me. It took a second to register that someone was attacking me with a knife. It’s not something you can process easily.”

Sarah crouched to defend herself as the stranger, another woman, was attacking her. The woman slashed the butcher knife at her, injuring Sarah’s hand. Eventually, she ran, screaming for help. The woman followed; Sarah’s baby was left behind.

“It was as if she didn’t even notice the stroller or my baby at all,” Sarah said. “She had no interest in going after him … she was completely focused on me, which was fine with me.”

That’s when a 79-year-old man rushed in to stand between Sarah and the attacker. He was on a walk through the neighborhood.

“Talking with the neighbors, she sounded rational until you listened to what she was saying,” she said. “She was so removed from reality. She was saying I was made of iron. She was attacking me, which was OK, because I’m made of iron. At one point a man came between her and me to protect me. He was like a wall and she didn’t know what to do with him because he was fearless.”

“If he had been 30 seconds before or after, who knows what would have happened? It was totally perfect timing,” Sarah said.

Other neighbors came out to stop the attack. Sarah’s husband rushed to the scene. Police and an ambulance responded. She was taken to an emergency room where she received 13 stitches on the back of her head, and 7 stitches on her forehead. Her left hand was cut badly and may need further surgery.

The attacker has been arrested and charged with assault. She’s a 26-year-old woman and authorities are currently determining if she is competent to face the court system.