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Driver in Seattle crash that hit 2 protesters due in court

Driver in Seattle crash that hit 2 protesters due in court
Posted at 5:15 PM, Jul 06, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-06 17:15:58-04

SEATTLE (AP) — The man accused of driving a Jaguar on to a closed Seattle freeway and hitting two protesters, killing one, is scheduled to appear in court Monday.

Lawyers will discuss whether he can be released on bail.

Police say Dawit Kelete, who is black, drove the car around vehicles that were parked on Interstate 5 to protect a group of Black Femme March demonstrators.

Racial Injustice Seattle
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)

They say he hit two people and sped away early Saturday.

Summer Taylor, a 24-year-old veterinary clinic worker, suffered critical injuries and died Saturday night. Diaz Love, 32, from Portland, Oregon, was in serious condition.

Kelete was alone in the car.

Racial Injustice Seattle
Emergency workers bring an injured person to an ambulance after 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)

He was taken into custody and a judge found probable cause to hold Kelete on an investigation of vehicular assault.