Charges against Seattle driver who hit protesters

4years ago

US news, US news.

Prosecutors intend to choose Wednesday on charges against the man who hit two protesters with his vehicle, killing one, while driving on a Seattle road that was shut down for Black Lives Matter exhibitions.

Dawit Kelete, 27, drove around vehicles that were left on Interstate 5 to secure the protesters, hitting two individuals at about 1:40 a.m. Saturday, as indicated by the Washington State Patrol.

Summer Taylor, a 24-year-old veterinary center laborer, endured basic wounds and died Saturday night. Diaz Love, 32, from Portland, Oregon, was hospitalized in serious condition. In a note posted on Facebook late Sunday, Love detailed being "alive and stable."

“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.”

An appointed authority requested Kelete held in guardianship on an examination of vehicular ambush. The King County investigator's office said it was auditing examination archives and would choose charges by Wednesday evening.

The driver is being hung on a $1.2 million bail. Kelete's attorney, John Henry Browne, said his customer, who is dark-skinned, didn't purposefully hit the protesters. He said the accident was a “horrible, horrible accident."

“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.”