A King County jury has ruled that the state of Washington is not responsible for the death of BLM protester Summer Taylor, who was killed on Interstate 5 during a demonstration in July 2020. In their decision, announced today, the jurors did agree, however, that Taylor's family should receive $6 million in damages for their loss. KING5 News reported that while the Washington State Patrol took steps to close portions of I-5 for the protests, the impaired driver Dawit Kelete drove onto an offramp, colliding with protesters and resulting in Taylor’s death.
According to KIRO7 News, it was mentioned that Taylor was not engaged in any illegal activity or violation of laws or regulations at the protest. Accordingly, the jury placed full responsibility on Kelete, who had previously reached a plea deal in July 2023, pleading guilty to vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, and reckless driving. The trial, which concluded after two and a half weeks, calculated the damages on behalf of the Estate of Summer Taylor.
The verdict has sparked reactions from both sides of the case. Karen Koehler, the attorney representing the Taylor family, expressed her disappointment in the outcome, particularly against the state’s role. "We’re not going to second guess the jury, but I’m not proud of them," Koehler transmitted to KOMO News. She suggested that state troopers could have done more to prevent the tragedy, either by removing the protesters from the highway or better preparing for the risk posed by the closed freeway.
However, defense attorney Puz argued that the Washington State Patrol followed proper incident management plans, including shutting down on-ramps and fully closing the freeway north of the protest site. "They’re blaming the state for not stopping their criminal conduct," Puz said during his closing argument. Meanwhile, Koehler noted the jury's recognition that Taylor was not negligent, calling this aspect of the verdict "a legacy verdict" and a validation for all who protested lawfully, as reported in the KOMO News interview.
The incident and the subsequent trial have intensified the debate over the appropriateness and risks of protesters occupying interstates and other major thoroughfares during demonstrations. Kelete is currently serving a prison sentence following his guilty plea to the charges related to the incident.
