Driver sentenced for 2020 fatal collision with protesters on I-5
The man who drove into a crowd of protestors on I-5 in downtown Seattle in the summer of 2020 has been sentenced to more than six years in prison.
Dawit Kelete pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and other charges in July. His sentence is for both vehicular homicide and reckless driving. His lawyers agreed to the recommended maximum sentence for the charges.
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Prosecutors say he drove the wrong way onto I-5 at Olive Way, as Black Lives Matter protestors gathered on the freeway lanes. The Washington State Patrol had blocked access to the freeway, but Kelete drove around the closure. His vehicle then struck and killed Summer Taylor, and severely injured Diaz Love.
Summer Taylor's family issued a victim impact statement after the fatal incident. They remembered Taylor as a “burst of creativity, wit, and charm.” Taylor's family also previously sued the city and the state for failing to protect protesters from drivers.