'Belltown Hellcat' charged for raising hell on Seattle streets
After months of tormenting downtown Seattle residents with a roaring exhaust pipe and high-speed street races, an online personality, locally known as the "Belltown Hellcat," has been charged with reckless driving. His own Instagram posts are now being used against him.
"The vehicle is well known to officers, as it has a modified exhaust system, which can be heard from many blocks away and is very distinctive," the police report on the case states.
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The Seattle City Attorney's Office is charging 20-year-old Miles Hudson with reckless driving with willful or wanton disregard for public safety, as well as with street racing. Hudson goes by srt.miles on Instagram. His Dodge Charger, with a custom paint job, is referred to as Hellcat (Hellcat is a particular model of Charger with horrid gas mileage).
Throughout the first few months of 2024, early morning disturbances had Belltown residents roaring nearly as loud as the engine Miles allegedly was revving through downtown streets. By March, police were communicating with the community about the issue and encouraging residents to call 911 the moment they heard the Hellcat scream. Belltown community members organized online to help police catch the driver. Councilmember Bob Kettle was also notified.
Much of Hudson's online presence is videos featuring him loudly revving his car engine, often inducing a backfire, or racing through the streets, generally around 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. One video shows him performing doughnuts in a parking lot, another shows him racing, and others just show him loudly revving his engine (he also discusses anime from time to time).
The Seattle police report on the case details one of Hudson's social media videos showcasing a downtown Seattle street race he allegedly took part in along Fourth Avenue South, which includes a shot of his speedometer reaching 107 mph.
According to the report, Seattle officers have stopped Hudson in his car "numerous times in the last three months." The Seattle Police Department was also called by neighbors complaining about a car, citing its license plate number.
The report also states, "Officers were made aware of Hudson's social media presence, specifically his Instagram, from members of the community. Officers were able to locate his Instagram which is under the handle @srt.miles. The vehicle on that account is clearly identifiable as the same vehicle ... the same color, wrap, headlights, interior lighting, and in the videos, it is seen driving on the streets of Seattle, as well as coming and going from the apartment where Hudson has been seen going in and out of by officers."
In a statement provided to The Seattle Times, Hudson said that his car is loud, no matter how fast or slow he is going, and that he doesn't plan to stop driving it.
