Infamous ‘Belltown Hellcat’ driver fails to have car inspected, faces other legal battles

Belltown’s saga with the infamous driver of a tiger-striped Dodge Charger Hellcat has gone on for nearly three months and looks to continue after Seattle police failed to complete its inspection of the car.

In late March, a 21-year-old Instagram influencer, Miles Hudson, was charged with reckless driving in downtown Seattle after the city attorney used the suspect’s own videos posted online in the case. Hudson has been accused of driving 107 miles per hour through Belltown in a Dodge Hellcat — decaled with tiger stripes — using a modified exhaust and engine that made his car backfire. The sound of his car was similar to gunfire, according to The Seattle Times.

Previous coverage: ‘Belltown Hellcat’ faces lawsuit from City of Seattle, citing noise violations

“It has gotten so bad for people who live in the area, even those living 30 stories high have been calling police to complain about all the loud noise he’s been causing,” Ursula Reutin, co-host of “The Gee and Ursula Show,” said. “His Instagram account with 750,000-plus followers features videos of him driving that souped-up car at night and early in the morning. You can’t do that.”

Hudson was told he needed to get the vehicle into compliance by April 15, two weeks after he was charged. He was told he would face a maximum fine of up to $1,300 per day for each day he failed to bring the vehicle in for a city-approved inspection after April 15 — 63 days ago. The inspection was required by a judge to determine whether the car’s exhaust system had been modified to not cause further disruptions for Belltown residents.

Seattle city ordinances state that no vehicle is permitted to operate within city limits if its exhaust noise is more than 95 decibels or can be heard from more than 75 feet away, according to FOX 13.

“Mr. Hudson has cultivated online infamy by flagrantly breaking Seattle’s laws and waking his neighbors with excessive noise,” Seattle City Attorney Anne Davison said in a prepared statement. “It’s time for him to face the consequences of his actions. That’s why I have requested that the court find Mr. Hudson in default and award the city all applicable penalties.”

Now, two months later, the Seattle City Attorney’s Office confirmed that Hudson had brought the vehicle in for an inspection at the West Precinct on Friday. Hudson even posted an image of police looking at his vehicle on his infamous Instagram story, according to KING 5, but he ultimately failed to comply with the inspection. The Seattle Police Department (SPD) deemed it incomplete due to his failure to cooperate.

Other legal issues including stalking, assault

Hudson’s infamous car is not the only battle he’s facing in court. Hudson is in the middle of dealing with separate charges of stalking, harassment and assault in Seattle, with these accusations coming from a violation of a suspended sentencing agreement out of Renton in 2022.

A woman filed for a protection order against Hudson in May, saying he harassed her outside her work and sent “explicit revenge porn” of her to other people, according to KING 5. A hearing in that case was held June 5 and was continued to June 19 to allow Hudson to submit documentation.

Hudson was in court last week for another legal issue: An assault case out of Renton. Hudson’s mother, Rebecca, reported a domestic violence incident involving her son, telling police he destroyed furniture in the house because his mother “didn’t pick him up fast enough,” according to police documents obtained by FOX 13.

In another incident back in April 2022, Hudson reportedly slammed his mom to the ground while she was sitting in a chair because she wouldn’t make him coffee. He was arrested on suspicion of fourth-degree assault.

More local crime: SPD searching for suspect in Mount Baker neighborhood fatal shooting

Hudson’s mother is the registered owner of the tiger-striped Hellcat. She also was one of the people who wrote to the city complaining about his reckless driving. Seattle City Council member Bob Kettle, who is the city representative of Belltown among other neighborhoods, claimed he had received more than 100 complaints over Hudson’s driving.

The Belltown Hellcat driver’s next scheduled hearing in that case is June 18. Due to his negligence to previous court orders and summons, he is facing approximately $83,000 in fines.

This is a developing story, check back for updates

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and you can email him here.