Bellevue officer seriously injured in VP motorcade accident meets Kamala Harris

The Bellevue Police Department (BPD) officer who sustained serious injuries in August 2023 while working a motorcade for Vice President Kamala Harris got the opportunity to meet her Friday.

Officer Kevin Bereta and his wife Jenny received a personal invitation from Harris and traveled from the Pacific Northwest to Washington, D.C., according to a news release from law firm Stritmatter Kessler Koehler Moore (The Stritmatter Firm) distributed Friday afternoon. The Stritmatter Firm has been representing the Bereta family in multiple areas since the accident.

The Beretas met with Harris at her personal residence. The vice president was “thrilled to see how much progress he had made in his recovery,” the statement reads. She also thanked him for his service and sacrifice.

“It was really hard to make this journey,” Bereta is quoted as saying in the release. “But there was no way I would turn down the honor of meeting the VP so that she could express her thanks in person. Jenny and I will remember this day forever.”

Bereta was severely injured while he was on Harris’ detail during her visit to Seattle on Aug. 15, 2023. Bereta cleared a pedestrian from the road and was catching up to the vice president’s motorcade when he was ejected from his motorcycle, falling dozens of feet off the Michigan Street on-ramp onto Interstate 5 (I-5) and landed on the fourth lane of the freeway. Lawyers later stated he hit a curb with his motorcycle and that’s why he was ejected from his vehicle.

According to the Bellevue Beat Blog, the official blog of the BPD, Harris called Bellevue Police Chief Wendell Shirley shortly after the accident to check on Bereta and to express her concern for him and his family.

Bereta underwent five surgeries and months of treatment after the accident. Complicating the situation further, Bereta initially lost his health benefits before having them restored.

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In September, Bereta returned from medical leave to the BPD, doing light-duty work, assisting with background investigations for prospective new hires and supporting the BPD Wellness Program. Bereta’s injuries have affected his ability to return to full patrol duty. The Bellevue Beat Blog reported at that time the assignment will continue until he is cleared to return to the field.

Bereta and his wife are suing the state

The Beretas are suing the state of Washington. They claim a combination of previous accidents and the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) lack of attention to safety concerns led to the officer sustaining severe and catastrophic injuries, while the couple suffered emotional trauma and economic losses.

According to the Beretas’ attorneys at The Stritmatter Firm, a WSDOT design memorandum from 2014, titled “Bridge Traffic Barrier Design Requirements for Fall Protection,” noted the “inadequacy” of the 27-inch tall barriers on overpasses and bridges and that a 42-inch traffic fall protection barrier was needed to render overpasses and bridges reasonably safe.

However, the lawsuit stated WSDOT made no adjustments to the Michigan Street overpass, adding, that in addition to Bereta’s accident, others have been injured in this area.

“In 2018 a motorcyclist was launched from the overpass onto the pavement below and died,” the lawsuit states. “In 2020, a motorcyclist was launched from the overpass and struck the barrier rail on the right shoulder of I-5 milepost 161. He was severely injured but survived.”

Bereta joined the BPD in January 2018 and transferred to the Traffic Division as a motorcycle officer in 2020.

Contributing: Luke Duecy, KIRO Newsradio; Julia Dallas, Bill Kaczaraba and Frank Sumrall

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.