Sadly, Seattle protester dies, driver ID’d as Dawit Kelete – not a white supremacist

A 27-year-old man drove a car onto a closed freeway in Seattle early Saturday and around cars blocking the road. Black Lives Matter protesters were in the middle of the street in the dark of night dancing and marching during a police brutality rally dubbed the Black Femme March.

The driver struck two people in the crowd, killing one and critically injuring the other, authorities said.

Summer Taylor, only 24 years of age, of Seattle, sadly died in the evening at Harborview Medical Center, spokesperson Susan Gregg said.

Dawit Kelete of Seattle drove the car around vehicles that were blocking I-5 and sped into the crowd about 1:40 a.m., according to a police report released by the Washington State Patrol. Video taken at the scene by protesters showed people shouting “Car! Car!” before fleeing the roadway. However, police say the events are still under investigation.

BAD PRACTICE

Blocking roads in the middle of the night for protests might not be the best practice.

The road was closed so the Black Lives Matter protesters could dance in the street in dark clothes in the middle of the night, keeping travelers from traveling on the I-5.

There were multiple reports that the driver was a white supremacist but he appears to be black.

Kelete was described by officers as reserved and sullen when he was arrested, according to court documents. He also asked if the pedestrians were OK, the documents say.

He was booked into the King County Correctional Facility on Saturday morning on two counts of vehicular assault. Bail was denied.

A judge found probable cause to hold Kelete on an investigation of vehicular assault. He faces a second court hearing on Monday at which the judge will determine if he can be released on bail, according to court documents.

The Washington State Patrol said Sunday evening that going forward it won’t allow protesters to enter I-5 and would arrest pedestrians on the freeway. [FINALLY]

THE DRIVER IDENTIFIED

The driver was identified as Dawit Kelete, age 27 years.

An Instagram page credited to a person named Dawit Kelete showed multiple photos of a Black man having fun in various settings that resembled college life at Washington State University. The man in those Instagram photos appeared to be the same person in the photos circulating on social media.

A LinkedIn page credited to a person named Dawit Kelete identified him as a sales manager as well as an operations manager for DoorDash in Seattle. His education was listed as Washington State University.

No alcohol was involved.

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