Prosecutors plan to decide Wednesday on charges against the man who hit two protesters with his car, killing one, while driving on a Seattle freeway that was closed for Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
Dawit Kelete, 27, drove around vehicles that were parked on Interstate 5 to protect the protesters, hitting two people at about 1:40 a.m. Saturday, according to the Washington State Patrol.
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Prosecutors plan to decide Wednesday on charges against the man who hit two protesters with his car, killing one, while driving on a Seattle freeway that was closed for Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
“In a lot of pain. I cannot believe Summer was murdered,” the post said. “If they thought this murder would make us back down, they are very wrong. Very wrong.”
“There’s absolutely nothing political about this case whatsoever,” Browne told The Associated Press. “My client is in tears. He’s very remorseful. He feels tremendous guilt.”
He was followed by one of the protesters, who was able to stop Kelete's car by driving in front of him until state troopers arrived. Kelete agreed to take a field sobriety test for drugs and alcohol. The tests showed he was not impaired, the state patrol said.
The state patrol had closed a section of I-5 for 19 days in a row because of the protesters, troopers said. Going forward, officials said they won’t allow protesters to enter I-5 and will arrest pedestrians on the freeway.
Summer Taylor, a 24-year-old veterinary clinic worker, suffered critical injuries and died Saturday night. Diaz Love, 32, from Portland, Oregon, was hospitalized in serious condition. In a note posted on Facebook late Sunday, Love reported being “alive and stable.”
Dawit Kelete wears handcuffs chained to his waist as he walks out of a court appearance Monday, July 6, 2020, in Seattle. Kelete is accused of driving a car on to a closed Seattle freeway and hitting two protesters, killing one, over the weekend. Seattle has been the site of prolonged unrest over the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis and had shut down the interstate for 19 days in a row. (AP PhotoElaine Thompson)
“In a lot of pain. I cannot believe Summer was murdered,” the post said. “If they thought this murder would make us back down, they are very wrong. Very wrong.”
A judge ordered Kelete held in custody on an investigation of vehicular assault. The King County prosecutor's office said it was reviewing investigation documents and would decide on charges by Wednesday afternoon.
The driver is being held on a $1.2 million bail. Kelete’s lawyer, John Henry Browne, said his client, who is black, did not intentionally hit the protesters. He said the crash was a “horrible, horrible accident."
Emergency personnel work at the site where a driver sped through a protest-related closure on the Interstate 5 freeway in Seattle, authorities said early Saturday, July 4, 2020. Dawit Kelete, 27, has been arrested and booked on two counts of vehicular assault. (James Anderson via AP)
“There’s absolutely nothing political about this case whatsoever,” Browne told The Associated Press. “My client is in tears. He’s very remorseful. He feels tremendous guilt.”
Kelete is originally from Eritrea, in northeastern Africa, and is a U.S. citizen, Browne said. He lives with his parents in Seattle, and they’re very religious, he said. Kelete was the owner of the Jaguar XJL and was alone in the car, according to the state patrol.
The protesters screamed and scattered as the car approached. A graphic video shows the vehicle approaching at a high rate of speed. It appeared to swerve slightly as it came toward two people still in the road. The car slid sideways as it hit the two protesters, sending them into the air. The driver slowed and turned on his flashers just after impact, and then drove away.
Attorney John Henry Browne speaks with media members after a court appearance by his client, Dawit Kelete, Monday, July 6, 2020, in Seattle. Kelete is accused of driving a car on to a closed Seattle freeway and hitting two protesters, killing one, over the weekend. Seattle has been the site of prolonged unrest over the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis, and had shut down the interstate for 19 days in a row. (AP PhotoElaine Thompson)
He was followed by one of the protesters, who was able to stop Kelete's car by driving in front of him until state troopers arrived. Kelete agreed to take a field sobriety test for drugs and alcohol. The tests showed he was not impaired, the state patrol said.
“The driver was reserved and appeared sullen throughout his time in custody,” Trooper James McGuire wrote in the arrest report. “At one point he asked if the injured pedestrians were okay.”
Seattle has been the site of prolonged unrest following the May police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which sparked nationwide protests.
Dawit Kelete wears handcuffs chained to his waist as he walks into a court appearance Monday, July 6, 2020, in Seattle. Kelete is accused of driving a car on to a closed Seattle freeway and hitting two protesters, killing one, over the weekend. Seattle has been the site of prolonged unrest over the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was in police custody in Minneapolis. (AP PhotoElaine Thompson)
The state patrol had closed a section of I-5 for 19 days in a row because of the protesters, troopers said. Going forward, officials said they won’t allow protesters to enter I-5 and will arrest pedestrians on the freeway.
This early Saturday, July 4, 2020 photo provided by the Washington State Patrol shows the vehicle of Dawit Kelete who is suspected of driving into a protest on Interstate 5 in Seattle. Seattle has been the site of prolonged unrest following the May 25 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. (Washington State Patrol via AP)