(Photo added 9:54 am, looking toward 59th SW crash-response scene)

9:33 AM: Seattle Fire is arriving at a crash on 59th SW south of Admiral Way [map] with a “rescue extrication” response. Power lines are down. Updates to come.

9:42 AM: The collision involves two cars per SFD. Medics have radioed that two people are seriously hurt.

9:50 AM: Given the narrow, split configuration of 59th in that area, some response vehicles are on eastbound Admiral too, so be careful if you have to travel that street.

10:03 AM: Photos added. This is on the southbound, one-way section of 59th SW. The injured people are being taken to Harborview by SFD medic units. Both were in the same car, we’re tol. As mentioned earlier, power lines are down; a pole is visibly leaning, across the northbound/downhill side:

10:18 AM: Police tell us the collision actually happened on the downhill/NB side of 59th and both cars came down the embankment.

(Added: Christopher Boffoli’s aerial view)

Both injured people were in the car in the background. The driver of the one in the foreground is OK and talking to media. He says firefighters told him the other driver might have had a medical emergency preceding the collision. Meantime, SPD’s Traffic Collision Investigation detectives are responding, so the scene will be closed for some hours.

(SFD photo)

11:21 AM: The photo above was tweeted by SFD, showing the car they had to cut into to free the injured driver and passenger, who are reported to be in critical and stable condition. A commenter also notes that power is out in the area; the City Light map shows 75 customers affected, with a current restoration estimate after 1 pm.

12:18 PM: Update from SFD – the driver in critical condition is a 69-year-old man; his passenger, a 67-year-old woman, serious but stable. The other driver, a 61-year-old man, was unhurt. (added) Here’s part of what Jim Lee told reporters:

The power-outage restoration estimate for the area is now just after 4:30 pm.

1:19 PM: Kersti Muul tells us Seattle City Light is on scene with a replacement pole and other repair work under way.

3 PM: Just went through the area. SCL is still working on the northbound side but it looks like there’s enough room to pass.

3:38 PM: SPD confirms that a medical emergency caused the crash. Otherwise, the only new detail in this just-posted SPD Blotter summary is that two members of the crew that had been working on southbound 59th suffered minor injuries from the falling wires.