A suspect faces multiple felony charges, said Capt. Ron Mead of the Washington State Patrol.
A few blocks away at approximately 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, the car addressed a group of protesters in a section that the WSP had closed around midnight. Mead said a car drove around a series of “support vehicles” that protesters used to block I-5 and protect themselves, and was placed on the shoulder of the highway where the protesters were.
“A vehicle passed through the closure and hit several pedestrians on the highway,” Private Rick Johnson said in a tweet.
Some of the protesters dispersed to avoid being hit, but “unfortunately two were hit by the vehicle,” Mead said at a press conference.
A 24-year-old woman from Seattle suffered fatal injuries. A 32-year-old woman from Bellingham, Washington, suffered serious injuries and was reported in stable condition, Mead said. Both were taken to Harborview Medical Center, the Seattle Fire Department said in a tweet.
The suspect, a 27-year-old man from Seattle, underwent a sobriety test and showed no signs of deterioration, but the WSP continues to investigate, Mead said.
When asked if it was a “targeted attack,” Mead said, “We don’t know, that is still the center of our investigation.”
The driver was expected to be booked into the King County Jail later Saturday morning, Mead said. He has not been charged.
Mean said possible charges include vehicular assault and a hit-and-run felony.
Mead added that the highway is not a safe place for pedestrians.
“Whether they are protesters, homeless people, broken down motorists, the highway is simply not a safe place for pedestrians and we have said it firmly,” he said. “My hope is the result of this tragedy, protesters will reconsider their desire to be on the interstate because I cannot guarantee their safety, plain and simple.”
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