Post navigation

Prev: (07/01/13) | Next: (07/02/13)

Capitol Hill Car2Go driver police say hit biker charged with hit and run

A criminal complaint has been filed against the driver arrested by police following an alleged Car2Go hit and run at Bellevue and E Olive St in March.

Nathan David Head faces a misdemeanor charge of hit and run of a pedestrian or bicyclist.

Police say Head was arrested after witnesses identified the 28-year-old Capitol Hill resident as the driver of a Car2Go Smart Car that had struck a bicyclist at Bellevue and E Olive St on the night of Saturday, March 30th. Police say they tracked Head to his Summit Ave with the help of Car2Go:

On listed date and time, the following incident was witnessed by SEVERAL witnesses. A/Head was driving WA#AKN2775 (a Car2Go SmartCar) South-bound on Bellevue Ave. Victim was riding his bicycle North-bound on Bellevue Ave. Both A/Head and Victim were approaching E Olive St. At E Olive St, as Victim began riding across the intersection, A/Head began turning left (East-bound) onto E Olive St. A/Head did not yield to Victim and struck Victim with WA#AKN2775. Witnesses stated that Victim was knocked off of his/her bicycle and flew into the air as a result of the collision with WA#AKN2775. A/Head stopped WA#AKN2775 in the immediate area, exited the vehicle, and contacted Victim now laying on the ground. According to Witnesses, A/Head asked Victim if he/she was O.K.. A/Head then saw all of the Witnesses approaching the scene. One witness stated that A/Head then “…freaked out…”. A/Head made a comment about moving/parking WA#AKN2775 and returning to the scene. A/Head then drove away East-bound on E Olive St and then South-bound on Summit Ave. A/Head did not return to the scene. Officers were able to contact Car2Go and determine that WA#AKN2775 had been contracted/rented to A/Head, as well as A/Head’s address. When I contacted A/Head at his residence, A/Head confirmed that he had been driving WA#AKN2775. Specifically, A/Head told me that he had been the ONLY ONE DRIVING WA#AKN2775. A/Head stated that he was returning to his residence and was driving South-bound  on Bellevue Ave. A/Head stated that he continued South on Bellevue Ave until he reached E Pine St, where he turned left (East-bound). A/Head stated that he was not involved in a collision. However, when I brought two of the Witnesses to A/Head’s location for a show-up, both Witnesses POSITIVELY  IDENTIFIED A/Head as the driver who had struck, and then contacted, Victim. A/Head was arrested for the Hit&Run Pedestrian/Bicyclist injured. Victim  sustained significant lacerations to his/her left shin and complained of significant pain to his/her left hip. After A/Head was arrested, Car2Go located WA#AKN2775 parked a short distance away from A/Head’s address. Car2Go confirmed that WA#AKN2775 was still actively contracted/rented to A/Head – that his rental contract had not been closed out yet. Car2Go also found fresh damage to the front end of WA#AKN2775, consistent with striking a  bicycle/bicyclist. At the time of this report, A/Head still denies colliding with/striking Victim or any bicycle.

A pretrial hearing on the incident is scheduled for later this month.

Subscribe and support CHS Contributors -- $1/$5/$10 per month

7 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Wilson Pigguts
Wilson Pigguts
10 years ago

What a dickhole.

JoMama
10 years ago
Reply to  Wilson Pigguts

Serious, who lies about a hitting someone? Especially when you know there were witnesses and you’re driving a rental car? What a freaking moron.

fluffy
10 years ago

It took me a few tries to parse this title. (Also it’s weird how the report excerpt first refers to the cyclist as male, then switches to the horribly painful he/she his/her whateverness…)

I wonder if this guy was just yet another painfully-clueless Seattle driver who honestly DID NOT KNOW that he’d hit the cyclist. Drivers around here seem to always be in a casual “whatevs” fog and just think that everyone should be as casual as they are about everything. Doesn’t matter where the turn lanes are or which way this one-way street goes, it’s all cool, no worries. Ugh.

Eric
Eric
10 years ago
Reply to  fluffy

Read the article, he got out of the car after the accident and “contacted” the victim. Before getting back in the car and driving away.

fluffy
10 years ago
Reply to  Eric

Oh, duh, I had read the article and saw that but in my indignation that part didn’t register to me.

Jim98122x
Jim98122x
10 years ago
Reply to  fluffy

The “he/she” part is from the police report. It’s probably written in non gender-specific language to avoid divulging the gender of the victim. Looks like the officer slipped up in the first mention of the victim.

Howard
Howard
10 years ago

What shocks me is that a hit-and-run against a bicyclist or a pedestrian could be charged as only a misdemeanor. Hit-and-run endangers lives. A car is a deadly vehicle. This should have been a felony!