This is absolutely horrific…
A group of people protesting in support of Black Lives Matter were doing so on a closed stretch of Interstate 5 in Seattle, Washington on Saturday night when a car somehow got onto the road and appeared to intentionally run down two of the activists. Now, one is dead from her injuries sustained in the hit and run, while the other person remains in serious condition in the ICU.
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The incident took place on I-5 in downtown Seattle last night, when protesters had peacefully gathered on the highway to promote their activism and engage in non-violent demonstration. The highway was purposely shut down by police, too, so there should’ve been no one on the road at the time. And yet…
However, as you can see in this horrifying video footage (below), a car plowed through the protest line at full speed, striking 24-year-old Summer Taylor, and fellow activist Diaz Love. Now, hours later, Taylor has passed away from her injuries, dying in the hospital after being transported there after the incident. Love remains in the ICU in serious condition, having been severely injured during the apparent attack.
Be warned, this video is very violent, and terrifying to watch:
WARNING: this video is graphic. Summer Taylor, just 24 years old, was murdered in Seattle this weekend as she was peacefully marching in a Black Lives Matter protest. pic.twitter.com/cdlNHju6ZL
— Perez (@ThePerezHilton) July 5, 2020
Wow…
The driver, Dawit Kelete, was since found by police and arrested. He was initially charged with two counts of vehicular assault, but now that Taylor has passed away from her injuries, it’s possible those charges could be upped to homicide or something similar.
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As you can see from the video of the car appearing to veer and speed up upon reaching the protesters, eyewitness on scene believed the incident to be a “purposeful attack,” and not simply a horrible accident or mistake.
Moments before it occurred, everything about the protest was peaceful and compliant, too:
The scene moments before a driver plowed into a crowd of peaceful protesters gathered on I-5 in Seattle early this morning: The Cupid Shuffle and a festive atmosphere. RIP Summer Taylor #SummerTaylor #DiazLove #SeattleProtest pic.twitter.com/NyXfRpbFd4
— A-A-RON (@ASeattleStoner) July 5, 2020
Why would someone do something like this to a peaceful protester?!
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Washington State troopers are currently investigating motive, among other things, and trying to figure out how the alleged assailant got onto the closed stretch of highway in the first place:
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
For now, it appears that the driver is still in police custody as the investigation unfolds.
Our hearts go out to Summer Taylor’s friends, family, and loved ones during this unimaginably difficult and gut-wrenching time. We can’t even imagine having to go through something like this. So, so sad. And such unnecessary violence.
Just awful.
RIP…
The post One Dead After Car Rams Into Activists Peacefully Protesting On Closed Stretch Of Seattle Highway appeared first on Perez Hilton.