Seattle proposes new street racing measures to city council

Seattle to clamp down on street racing with new fines

Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison is determined to slam the brakes on street racing and street takeover events.

SEATTLE - Seattle is at a breaking point as fearless street racers continue to scoff at the law.

City Attorney Ann Davison is determined to change that by proposing hefty fines and making video, including social media posts, admissible as evidence.

"We need to have our laws matter," Davison said. "With our understaffing with Seattle Police, we need to be smart in how we address this."

Seattle Police Department street takeover dashcam video

On June 22 and 23, 2024, Seattle Police officers responded to street takeover events in the city.

On Tuesday morning, Davison and leaders with the Seattle Police Department presented their proposal to members of the City Council Public Safety Commission.

Seattle Police report that social media posts often inspire swarms of people to attend these dangerous events. What begins as death-defying donuts often escalates into deadly consequences: gunfire, hit-and-runs and even homicides.

One example of that blatant disregard is Miles Hudson, the man-behind-the-wheel of the infamous "Belltown Hellcat." Despite a slew of criminal charges, thousands of dollars in fines and constant demands to stop, Hudson continues to post videos of him speeding and revving his souped up car on his Instagram.

Belltown Hellcat exploits WA's new street racing law

Despite facing two reckless driving charges and over $80,000 in fines, "Belltown Hellcat" driver Miles Hudson is still on the streets and posting new content in his 2023 Dodge Charger.

"I saw how people were laughing at officers because it felt like they couldn’t do anything," remarked Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth. "I’m assuming people come to Seattle to do it because we don’t have particular laws that prevent this from happening."

Davison suggests imposing a $500 fine for cars caught spinning out. She also argues that video evidence, including dash or body camera footage and social media content, should be used to prosecute offenders.

During the discussion, Councilmember Rob Saka expressed strong support for following the city of Kent's lead in criminalizing spectators too. Saka promised to reach out to Kent mayor Dana Ralph to learn more.