The tent pitched in the grassy median along I-5 is among hundreds of unauthorized camps that have popped up on vacant land, along freeways and in neighborhoods throughout Seattle.
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Washington State Patrol says one person was struck and killed in a crash on the Northeast 50th Street off-ramp of Northbound Interstate 5.
All lanes of I-5 are open but the Northeast 50th Street off ramp is closed.
The driver of the auto fled the scene of the crash, abandoning their vehicle.
The driver was later found by Seattle police and taken to Harborview Medical Center to be evaluated for drugs.
Two people were sleeping in the three-tent camp when the vehicle left the roadway, authorities said. Washington State Patrol reports that the driver has been found and has been transported to a hospital, though they are not injured, according to KIRO 7. “Seattle alone can’t solve this crisis but we must try”.
Troopers arrested him on investigation of vehicular homicide. The tents are familiar sights to drivers along I-5 in Seattle. The number of people sleeping outside in the Seattle area was estimated to be more than 4,500 earlier this year. Mayor Ed Murray and King County Executive Dow Constantine have declared the region’s homeless issue a state of emergency.
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Since November, the city has conducted 441 sweeps of illegal homeless encampments.
