EDMONDS – Richard Alseth lay fighting for his life Tuesday as his family pleaded for help in finding the enraged driver who beat him unconscious.
Alseth, 64, of Edmonds was attacked Monday night near his sister-in-law’s house in the 9500 block of 224th Street SW, Edmonds Sgt. Jeff Jones said Tuesday.
Alseth was backing out of the driveway there about 6:15 p.m. when he apparently pulled in front of an oncoming car. The other driver stopped and got out of his car, and he and Alseth yelled at each other, witnesses told police.
Then the other driver began punching Alseth, witnesses said, and the retired assistant principal raised his arms to shield himself from the blows.
The assault ended after the passenger in the other car got out, yelled at the driver, and the two left, Jones said.
Alseth suffered life-threatening head injuries, said his son Steve Alseth, 27, of Edmonds. The blows caused swelling on both sides of his brain, and he was in serious condition Tuesday night at Harborview Medical Center’s intensive care unit in Seattle.
“I just want the person who did this to come forward and own up to it,” Steve Alseth said.
He urged anyone with information to call police, who have few leads about the man responsible. Witnesses weren’t close enough to get a license plate number or much of a description.
“My dad has always been there for his family and community. Now he needs us to help him,” Steve Alseth said.
Police did not know whether Richard Alseth’s car collided with the oncoming car or just came close, Jones said.
“Even if there was a collision between the two cars, that’s no reason to hurt someone,” he said, adding that the other car may have minor front-end damage.
Richard Alseth’s family was with him at the hospital Tuesday night, praying for his recovery, his son said.
“We were getting excited for the holidays and planning to be together,” Steve Alseth said. “Now our family’s only wish is that my father survive this terrible attack.”
His father, he said, has had four CAT scans and may need surgery.
“There will definitely be long-term effects,” he said. But “he’s a survivor. He taught us to be strong.”
Richard Alseth worked for the Edmonds School District for 30 years, retiring in 1999 as assistant principal at College Place Middle School in Lynnwood. Staff there described him as a caring educator.
“Anytime you’d ask Rich to do something, he’d step in,” said College Place principal Andy Rogers.
Alseth enjoyed building the school’s computer network, Rogers said, and setting up technology for the middle school’s accelerated reading program. He also coordinated the “Cougar Run,” the school’s annual fun run, Rogers said. The middle school has about 700 seventh- and eighth-graders.
Even though he was retired, Richard Alseth continued to volunteer at the Edmonds High School stadium, working the concession stand and assisting at events, Rogers said.
“Everyone is very upset, trying to make sense of this,” Rogers said. “That’s difficult to do.”
Enterprise reporter Shanti Hahler contributed to this article. Herald news partner KIRO-TV also helped with the story.
Reporter Katherine Schiffner: 425-339-3436 or schiffner@heraldnet.com.
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