Honda flips onto side after falling object distracts driver | Mercer Island Police Blotter

A collision caused a Honda SUV to flip onto its passenger side in the 3900 block of Island Crest Way when the driver, 24, became distracted.

A collision caused a Honda SUV to flip onto its passenger side in the 3900 block of Island Crest Way on Aug. 31 when the driver, 24, was distracted by a lamp falling over inside his vehicle and tried to pick it up. He turned from S.E. 40th Street onto Island Crest Way, crossed the yellow line and struck a vehicle stopped in the left-hand turn lane.

The force of the collision pushed the second vehicle backward into a third car.

The driver was cited for inattention. He had a lamp in his vehicle because he was helping a friend to move. No injuries were reported.

By the numbers: August stats

The Mercer Island Police Department reported 1,174 total calls for service in August and 27 arrests. Among serious offenses, there were six burglaries, 20 thefts and four cases of assault. In traffic incidents, there were 12 accidents, four injuries, one DUI accident, six DUI arrests, two hit-and-runs, two pedestrian/vehicle accidents and one bike/vehicle accident. Police issued 356 total citations, including 151 parking tickets.

Aug. 19

Eluding police: A police officer attempted to stop a vehicle in the 9600 block of I-90, but the driver refused to pull over for several miles. The driver, a 37-year-old woman, eventually complied and was cited for failing to obey the officer.

Aug. 23

Bike theft: A 12-year-old boy’s unsecured bike and helmet were stolen at Islander Middle School in the 8200 block of S.E. 72nd Street sometime after Aug. 20. The bike was worth $349. The boy’s mother reported the theft.

Accident: An unknown vehicle struck a Honda Civic on or before Aug. 23, possibly in the 6100 block of 94th Avenue S.E. The Honda sustained damage on its left rear bumper and quarter panel.

Aug. 25

DUI arrests: Police arrested a 47-year-old North Bend man at 10:13 p.m. in the 8400 block of eastbound I-90 for driving while drunk. The officer initiated a “high-risk” traffic stop, according to the case report. The driver’s vehicle, a Porsche, was impounded on a 12-hour hold.

A MIPD officer assisted in a traffic stop in Bellevue and arrested a 36-year-old man at 12:37 a.m. The driver contacted his attorney before refusing the blood alcohol content test, and was transported to the MIPD for processing. His vehicle was impounded.

Assault: A 23-year-old man assaulted a 21-year-old woman during a house party at 1 a.m. in the 3700 block of East Mercer Way. The suspect threw the victim to the ground multiple times. The victim was injured with a possible fracture in her arm. Two witnesses were present.

Aug. 26

Malicious mischief: Someone shattered a 3-by-5-foot window with a rock or other projectile sometime overnight in the 6800 block of West Mercer Way. The total loss was $500.

Lost keys: A 43-year-old woman reported losing her keys after leaving them on a bench near the flagpole in Luther Burbank Park at 12 p.m.

Aug. 27

Burglary: A 51-year-old woman confronted a male burglar inside her home in the 6100 block of 93rd Avenue S.E. at 10:48 a.m. The resident found the suspect in her basement after hearing noises coming from the dog-door area downstairs. The woman yelled at him, and he fled through the basement door. No items were stolen. A canine track and search were negative.

Liquor theft: Bottles of various brands of liquor were stolen from Albertsons at 2755 77th Ave. S.E. between 11:30 and 11:50 a.m. Empty liquor boxes and a surveillance video were taken into evidence. Fingerprints were lifted.

Aug. 28

Car prowl: A GPS unit was stolen out of a Toyota Highlander after a window was smashed in the 4000 block of West Mercer Way, sometime overnight. The total loss was $750.

Jail sentence: The Mercer Island Municipal Court sentenced a 22-year-old man to 180 days in jail for a probation violation. He was booked into the Issaquah City Jail.

Backpack found: Parks employees found a backpack with various items, clothing and a marijuana grinder in the park in the 8300 block of S.E. 78th Street at 9:30 a.m.

Aug. 29

Jewelry theft: A 52-year-old woman reported the theft of several expensive pieces of jewelry from her home in the 3900 block of 90th Avenue S.E. A suspect has been identified as a 46-year-old Mercer Island resident. Among the stolen items were a Swiss watch necklace, sapphire ring, diamond ring, one sapphire earring, and a platinum crucifix and chain. The total loss was between $6,000 and $10,000. The suspect had been a guest in the victim’s home — staying intermittently since May, over the summer. The suspect’s son and boyfriend had also visited the residence.

Theft: Someone made an unauthorized $405 purchase with a Mercer Island resident’s debit card. A 22-year-old female suspect has been identified.

Aug. 30

Arrest: Police took a 32-year-old man into custody for a misdemeanor warrant at 5:30 p.m. after he was released from the Kent City Jail. He was then booked into the Issaquah City Jail.

Aug. 31

Accident: A Subaru passed a vehicle at a stop sign in the intersection of S.E. 30th Street and 80th Avenue S.E. Both then proceeded to make a right-hand turn, and the Subaru struck the Toyota Camry at 4:30 p.m. The driver of the Subaru said that she passed the Camry because she thought it was parked on the side of the road. There were no injuries.

Bike theft: A woman reported that her son’s new mountain bike was stolen from their driveway sometime after Aug. 29 in the 6900 block of 93rd Avenue S.E.

Sept. 1

Mercedes Keyed: While parked at the Mercer Island Country Club, a 28-year-old man’s Mercedes-Benz was scratched from the driver’s side door, around the back of the vehicle, to the passenger door on the other side, in the 8700 block of S.E. 71st Street. The damage happened sometime between 6 and 6:45 p.m.

DUI: Police stopped a vehicle that ran a stop sign and arrested the driver, a 58-year-old Seattle man, at 12:44 a.m. in the 7500 block of westbound I-90. The driver admitted he had been drinking. He failed standard field sobriety tests.

Sept. 2

Theft of Cigarettes: Someone stole two cartons of cigarettes, worth $145, from Walgreens at 7707 S.E. 27th Street at 10:51 a.m. One witness was present and gave statements to police. Police obtained photos and a surveillance video of the theft.

Sept. 3

Arson: Someone set a portable toilet on fire in the Park on the Lid between 12:45 and 1:10 a.m. in the 2200 block of West Mercer Way. The wooden structure around the toilet and nearby bushes were burned, and the toilet was destroyed.

Threats: A North end resident reported receiving two phone calls with threats, from a blocked number, after Aug. 30.

Sept. 4

Accident: Two vehicles collided in the intersection of S.E. 43rd Street and 91st Avenue S.E. The 57-year-old driver of a Hyundai sedan was cited for failing to yield, and her vehicle left skid marks. It was towed. No injuries were reported.

Kayak Theft: A 9-foot kayak was stolen from the Cedar Grove community beach, in the 4400 block of East Mercer Way, sometime after mid-August.

Burglary: A home in the 4400 block of East Mercer Way was forcibly entered through a patio window sometime between 9 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. The residents were not home. Jewelry and electronics were stolen, including a Wii gaming console, Rockband adaptor, XBox 360 gaming console and 50-inch Panasonic HDTV, plus $5 in cash. The burglar(s) exited through the front door.

Arrest: Police took a 26-year-old man into custody at 7:30 p.m. on an outstanding Mercer Island Municipal Court warrant of $2,500. He was booked into the Issaquah Jail.

Sept. 5

Arrest: Police contacted a 23-year-old Mercer Island man seen skateboarding in the street. He was wanted for arrest on a $2,500 misdemeanor warrant. Police arrested the suspect at 12:27 a.m. in the 4300 block of Island Crest Way and booked him into the Issaquah Jail.