Bus crashes into Seattle indoor skate park, temporarily displaces organization

SEATTLE - A non-profit skateboarding organization is seeking outside help after a King County Metro bus crashed into it’s facility Wednesday night, temporarily displacing staff and clients.

"A space that our community loves so much was literally just hit by a bus," said ‘Skate Like a Girl’ volunteer Ashley-Nichole Holland. "It breaks my heart. The community’s been majorly impacted by this."

The Seattle Police Department (SPD) said officers first responded to a report of a crash involving a Metro bus and a vehicle on the 1600 block of S Jackson St. around 6 p.m. Wednesday. Responding officers found the bus had hit a nearby warehouse after the crash.

"A literal bus is in the middle of a mural that my friend Mac spent over 40 hours making," said staff member Xander Schulte. "That mural is just gone."

"The spot where the bus hit is one of our more popular skate features," said Finn Bradberry, director of Skate Like a Girl’s Seattle Chapter. "It’s amazing no one was hurt."

According to a Metro spokesperson, the Route 14 bus was traveling east on South Jackson Street when "a westbound vehicle collided with the bus as it turned in front of the bus, forcing the operator to swerve the bus."  

As of Thursday evening, the bus was still lodged into the side of the building.

Because of safety issues, programming at the facility has temporarily been suspended.

"As long as we can find somewhere that’s a little bit hidden from the rain, we’re going to do our best to still run some programming," said Bradburry. "But right now it is just definitely a guessing game and we are just sort of waiting and wishing that something’s going to come together for us." 

If you would like to help Skate Like a Girl relocate, you can visit their website here.