Seattle Jury Finds State Not Negligent in BLM Protester's Death, Awards $6M from Driver

The jury ruled that the driver who struck and killed Summer Taylor on I-5 in 2020 must pay damages, while the state was not found liable.

Summer Taylor, a 24-year-old activist, was killed during a Black Lives Matter protest on Interstate 5 in Seattle in July 2020.
The family of Summer Taylor sued the state of Washington for $24 million, alleging negligence in not protecting protesters on the highway.
The jury found the state not negligent but held driver Dawit Kelete responsible, ordering him to pay $6 million in damages.
Kelete, who drove the wrong way onto the interstate and struck Taylor, was previously sentenced to 6.5 years in prison for vehicular homicide and other charges.
The jury awarded $1.75 million each to Taylor’s parents and $2.5 million to their brother as part of the damages.