MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Seattle mayor calls out state, feds after fatal crash along I-5

Sep 12, 2016, 1:16 PM | Updated: 1:25 pm

fatal crash, homeless...

A car drove through a Seattle homeless camp off of I-5, killing a person sleeping inside a tent in the early morning hours of Sept. 12. (KIRO 7)

(KIRO 7)

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray says a deadly hit-and-run crash that killed a homeless man sleeping along I-5 Monday morning stresses the importance of creating safe places for people living on the streets.

“If other cities and the state will not step up and the federal government will not return the funding that they’ve cut over the decades, then cities like Seattle and Portland — and you saw the crisis that has developed in Portland in just the last 14 days — are going to be in a very difficult situation,” Murray said. “There is no way to simply push people out of the city.”

Related: Car drives through Seattle camp, kills one person

Deonna Hughes, 21, says the man killed was her 19-year-old ex boyfriend who’d been living on the greenbelt between I-5 and the NE 50th Street off-ramp for more than a year, according to The Seattle Times. She says he called it his island and felt safe there.

The driver who police say drove into the tent has been arrested for vehicular homicide.

The Washington State Department of Transportation said that they know of hundreds of people living illegally in greenbelts along I-5. The department cleans up the greenbelts every two months, and gives 72 hours notice to campers. However, campers return a few days after a clean out, a WSDOT spokesperson told The Times.

Crews were scheduled to clean the greenbelt at the scene of the crash in October.

Murray said they’ve tried to go in and offer services for homeless people before they move them. And when people don’t take the services for whatever reason, the city goes in and cleans up sites.

“We do that because of tragedies like this,” he said. “This is not the first tragedy like this that’s happened over the decades in the city.”

He said, ultimately, the greenbelt where the hit-and-run occurred is the responsibility of the state.

“It is beyond any city’s capacity to manage both our own property and the state’s property,” Murray said.

MyNorthwest News

KIRO Newsradio gracie awards...

MyNorthwest Staff

KIRO Newsradio anchors receive Gracie Awards for outstanding work

Heather Bosch and Lisa Brooks, anchors at KIRO Newsradio, have been honored by the Alliance for Women in Media with prestigious Gracie Awards.

1 hour ago

Kia Boys...

Kate Stone, KIRO Newsradio and Bill Kaczaraba, MyNorthwest

‘Kia Boys’ allegedly execute a crime spree in south King County

Renton police chased down a 14-and 16-year-old but are still looking for two other teen suspects in what they said was a "crime spree" in south King County.

2 hours ago

Spanaway woman shot dead...

Kate Stone

Search for shooter continues after woman shot dead while driving in Spanaway

A 47-year-old woman was shot dead in Spanaway, causing her to hit another driver head-on early Wednesday morning.

3 hours ago

nintendo redmond...

Frank Sumrall

Nintendo to lay off 86 Redmond employees this spring

Nintendo of America is laying off 86 contract workers in Redmond, beginning May 25, due to company reorganization.

4 hours ago

Everett boy missing...

Sam Campbell

4-year-old Everett boy missing, police worried he’s in danger

Police and Search and Rescue crews are looking for a missing four-year-old boy they suspect could be in danger.

5 hours ago

Image: The awnings of a store advertise the sale of lottery tickets, including Mega Millions and Po...

Steve Coogan

Lottery jackpots update: Powerball prize jumps again after $1.1B Mega Millions win

A lottery jackpots update: The Powerball prize reached an estimated $935 million ahead of Saturday night's drawing.

15 hours ago

Seattle mayor calls out state, feds after fatal crash along I-5