A MAN who allegedly drove through a crowd of protesters at a Black Femme March in Seattle on Saturday, killing one and seriously injuring another, is facing a charge of vehicular homicide.

Dawit Kelete, 27, will be charged with vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, and reckless driving, the King's County Prosecuting Attorney's Office announced on Wednesday.




Kelete allegedly drove a Jaguar onto a closed freeway in Seattle, killing 24-year-old protester Summer Taylor and injuring 32-year-old Diaz Love.

"Today the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed charges against Dawit Kelete for the crash that killed one person and seriously injured another the morning of July 4 on southbound Interstate 5 in Seattle," the King County Prosecutor said in a statement on social media.

Prosecutors said the investigations into the incident remain ongoing, and that charges may be added or changed later.

Kelete is scheduled to have an arraignment on July 22.

Prosecutors said he is expected to enter a plea.

Kelete's bail was set on Tuesday for $1.2million.

His attorney, John Henry Browne, told the Associated Press that Kelete did not mean to hurt anyone.

Browne said the incident was a "horrible, horrible accident."



"There's absolutely nothing political about this case whatsoever," Browne told the AP.

"My client is in tears. He's very remorseful. He feels tremendous guilt."

Graphic video captured the Saturday incident.

The portion of Interstate 5 had been closed, but a car entered the wrong direction of an off-ramp when trying to enter, cops said.

Protesters scrambled as the car moved on to the freeway and they attempted to get away.

Love and Taylor were unable to move in time, however.

Taylor, a veterinary clinic worker, passed away from their injuries hours later at the hospital.

Love, who is from Portland, Oregon, was in serious condition and later shared a bit about the crash on Facebook.

"I'm alive and stable," Love wrote on Facebook Sunday.

"In a lot of pain. I cannot believe Summer was murdered. If they thought this murder would make us back down, they are very wrong. Very wrong."

The incident came amid ongoing protests following the death of George Floyd.

Protesters across the nation have shown support for the Black Lives Matter movement as they call for an end to systemic racism.

Seattle in particular has faced high upset since the beginning of protests.

An area called CHOP – or the "Capitol Hill Occupied Protest" zone – was recently disbanded by police after weeks of protesters occupying the area.

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