Get the latest BPR news delivered free to your inbox daily. SIGN UP HERE.
The driver of a car that plowed into protesters on a Seattle interstate has been taken into custody by police.
A car plowed into “multiple pedestrians” on a stretch of Interstate 5 on Friday night, injuring two women, “one with life-threatening injuries and one with serious injuries,” according to Washington State Patrol spokesperson Trooper Rick Johnson.
(Source: KING5-TV)
Video captured by onlookers showed the moment a white vehicle came at the protesters at a high rate of speed, maneuvering around other vehicles that were apparently positioned to form a barrier on the road. Two of the protesters were directly struck by the car and sent flying into the air before landing on the highway pavement.
**Warning: Disturbing Content**
Protestors 🛑 STOP protesting on the roadway. You will likely get run over. 🚷 pic.twitter.com/tTWePcCetC
— 🇺🇸🦅M💥A💥G💥A🦅🇺🇲 (@BlessUSA45) July 4, 2020
One of the victims, a 32-year-old woman from Bellingham had serious injuries, while the other, a 24-year-old Seattle woman, suffered critical, life-threatening injuries, according to Washington State Patrol Capt. Ron Mead, the Associated Press reported.
I am on scene of the incident on I-5 and Olive way. A vehicle drove through the closure and struck multiple pedestrians on the freeway. Two people were transported to Harborview. One with life threatening injuries and one with serious injuries.
— Trooper Rick Johnson (@wspd2pio) July 4, 2020
The driver, a 27-year-old man from Seattle, was taken into custody after the car was stopped by police who are investigating what happened and a possible motive.
The vehicle has been stopped and the driver is in custody. Troopers are investigating at this time. The SB lanes of I-5 will continue to be close for a while.
— Trooper Rick Johnson (@wspd2pio) July 4, 2020
The unnamed driver, who is facing multiple felony charges according to Mead, may have come onto the highway the wrong way on a ramp. Photos of the suspect’s car were shared on Twitter by Johnson.
Here are two pictures of the suspect vehicle that struck two protesters on I-5 this morning. Investigation into motive and point of entry in to I-5 are still under investigation. pic.twitter.com/gU1QH6TFTu
— Trooper Rick Johnson (@wspd2pio) July 4, 2020
According to Associated Press:
A nearly two-hour-long Facebook livestream captioned “Black Femme March takes I-5” from Diaz Love ended abruptly; with about 15 seconds left, shouts of “Car!” can be heard as the camera starts to shake before screeching tires and the sound of impact are heard. The Associated Press could not immediately reach her.
“My hope is, as a result of this tragedy, protesters will reconsider their desire to be on the interstate because I cannot guarantee their safety, plain and simple,” Mead said, noting that the freeway is “simply not a safe place” for people to be walking.
Protesters had reportedly been on the closed-off road for about an hour when the car drove into them, according to Mead who also noted that the I-5 freeway has been shut down by protesters for 19 consecutive days following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the end of May. A police-free “autonomous zone” that was also set up in an area of downtown Seattle has just been taken down and cleared.
Mead indicated at the press conference that wanted to see an end to the “unlawful behavior” of protesters blocking the interstate.
One witness reportedly called the incident a “purposeful attack,” according to KING5-TV.
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
[email protected]
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
- Minnesota Dems promote bills to ban gas-powered lawnmowers, chainsaws - February 18, 2023
- KJP shows off her contempt for Trump with unnecessary jab during comms director’s sendoff - February 11, 2023
- DOJ ramps up a ‘mere review’ to full-fledged investigation after latest Biden doc discovery - January 12, 2023
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
