Two Women Hurt as Car Drives Through Seattle Protest Crowd
Two women were hurt after a car slammed into a group of protesters on Interstate 5 in downtown Seattle early Saturday, authorities said.
The Associated Press reported that one of the women was in critical condition, while the other is stable with serious injuries. Both of the victims were taken to Harborview Medical Center.
The Seattle Fire Department tweeted that the injured women appeared to be in their 20s.
Washington State Patrol spokesperson Trooper Rick Johnson posted on social media that the suspect drove through the freeway closure at I-5 and Olive Way, striking many people holding protest on the freeway, the KOMO-TV reported.
A video on social media showed that a white Jaguar car travelling at high speed steer around two vehicles parked across the lanes as a barrier, according to The Guardian.
It was reported that the car sped toward a handful of protesters, hitting the two victims, who flew into the air before landing on the ground.
The incident prompted authorities to close the southbound lanes of I-5 as they investigate the scene, said Johnson in a tweet.
Seattle police said they were assisting the State Patrol with the investigations on the scene as the southbound lanes of I-5 remained closed for investigation.
According to Johnson, the vehicle was stopped and the driver was taken into custody. But it was not clear what charges he would face.
Seattle has been the location of extended unrest following nationwide protest over police brutality and racism. Portions of I-5 had been closed at times for protest in the past weeks.
Dozens of arrests have been made in connection to these protests with shootings and arrests taking place in Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) zone.
On Wednesday, the Seattle police arrested more than 30 people as they cleared out the CHOP, which was formerly known as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ).
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