A hit-and-run in southwest Seattle has left a motorcyclist fighting for his life, and police are now searching for the driver who sped off after the crash. The case has alarmed residents of the neighborhoods where the speeding vehicle tore through streets that are often filled with children.
The victim has been identified as 32-year-old Dominic Martinez, who was knocked off his motorcycle and rushed into intensive care. Since the crash, he has undergone seven surgeries at Harborview Medical Center, where his family has been keeping watch over his recovery.
According to his cousin, Martinez was the victim of road rage. She described imagining her cousin believing he was fleeing for his life as the vehicle pursued him through the Highland Park neighborhood, with the chase captured in part by tracking on the Life360 app.
As he tried to get away, Martinez reached the area of 16th and Holden, near a 7-Eleven, where he had to split lanes to escape the vehicle. The car following him also split lanes and, at one point, nearly struck a garbage truck during the high-speed pursuit through the residential streets.
The collision happened at around 5:07 p.m. on June 2nd at 9th Avenue Southwest and Southwest Trenton Street, as the riders headed southbound. Relatives said Martinez was on his way home from work in Kent when he was hit, describing him as a father, husband and caretaker with two young daughters to look after.
Investigators say the footage of the crash is so fast that they have been unable to identify the driver. A friend, however, located the suspect's car, described as a dark blue Cadillac DTS with damage to the front end, which Seattle police have since impounded as evidence.
Police are now appealing to the community for help, asking businesses along Southwest Roxbury Avenue and anyone with relevant video to come forward through the P3 Tips app. A GoFundMe campaign has also been started to support Martinez's wife and two young children while he recovers.