Seattle Police accused of negligence in wrongful death lawsuit of protester killed on I-5

By Matt Markovich
February 19, 2021

(KOMO) — Law enforcement letting protesters stay on I-5 became a deciding factor during a court hearing Friday involving the wrongful death lawsuit of Summer Taylor.

Taylor was killed when an alleged wrong way driver drove into a Black Lives Matter march taking place July 4 in the middle of the highway in downtown Seattle.

Dawit Kelete is accused of going the wrong way on an off ramp, driving onto the highway and hitting Taylor and another protester.

The City of Seattle was asking King County Superior Court judge to prevent the argument of negligence by Seattle Police in a future trial. The claim asserted by the Taylor family attorney Karen Koehler was SPD could have prevented the accident from happening.