SEATTLE, WA - On Saturday, November 4th, a crash between a Metro bus and a car killed one woman and injured several others after the bus crashed through a building.
The suspect, 31-year-old Adam Abelson is accused of causing a deadly chain-reaction and is facing charges that include vehicular homicide. New information about Abelson and his criminal history have since emerged. Prosecutors said that just in the Seattle area, Abelson has been issued nearly 50 warrants for his arrest and has been accused of several crimes.
Charging documents for the deadly crash state that not only did Abelson cause the crash with the bus, but he is also accused of having drug paraphernalia on the front seat of his car at the time. The paraphernalia included a "pipe, torch, aluminum tin," which could suggest that "drugs may have been a causing factor." Documents allege that he was "speeding at highway speeds and much faster than the 25 mph speed limit."
He is also accused of failing to slow down or stop for a "solid red light." He reportedly "collided with the front bumped of the Prius before striking the bus near the front left tire." The impact from the car crash redirected the bus toward the southeast corner where pedestrian Amanda Schneider stood. She tried to run, but was struck and killed.
Casey McNerthney with the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office said, "An incident involving a bus like this and particularly rare when you think of the number of bus routes and rides that happen per day, the odds of things happening to you is very slim on Metro. But, it doesn't mean this victim's life was any less valuable, or this case was any less serious. This is a heartbreaking tragedy."
At the time of the incident, there were 14 passengers on the bus. Eleven of those individuals were transported to a nearby hospital to be treated for injuries sustained in the collision. As of this writing, Abelson is facing charges of vehicular homicide, reckless driving and having no valid operator's license.
McNerthney said, "If we get additional information from Seattle Police investigators, of course we are going to act on it with the same urgency." Abelson has a lengthy criminal record, including hit-and-run, vehicle prowling, making false statements to a public servant, theft and organized retail theft. McNerthney confirmed that, "Only a few of those came to our office."
Prosecutors argue that Abelson is a danger to the public and a flight risk who is not expected to appear for any court appearances "on his own volition."
Due to the nature of the incident and his criminal history, prosecutors argued for a bail of at least $500,000. McNerthney said, "In asking for this high bail amount, we wanted to make sure this information got before the court." Prosecutors and investigators are waiting on results from the state toxicology lab to see if Abelson was under the influence during the crash.
According to the King County Medical Examiner, Schneider, the pedestrian who was killed as a result of Abelson's actions, died of multiple blunt force injuries. Court documents state that, "She was hit by the bus and thrown against the building. She suffered catastrophic injuries and was immediately killed." Abelson was found unconscious and removed from the driver's seat of the sedan by first responders.
Abelson was on a pending "attempting to elude" case that involved "speeding away from a police officer and going through a red light in downtown Seattle" when he crashed into the bus. His bail on that charge is $50,000.
The suspect, 31-year-old Adam Abelson is accused of causing a deadly chain-reaction and is facing charges that include vehicular homicide. New information about Abelson and his criminal history have since emerged. Prosecutors said that just in the Seattle area, Abelson has been issued nearly 50 warrants for his arrest and has been accused of several crimes.
Charging documents for the deadly crash state that not only did Abelson cause the crash with the bus, but he is also accused of having drug paraphernalia on the front seat of his car at the time. The paraphernalia included a "pipe, torch, aluminum tin," which could suggest that "drugs may have been a causing factor." Documents allege that he was "speeding at highway speeds and much faster than the 25 mph speed limit."
He is also accused of failing to slow down or stop for a "solid red light." He reportedly "collided with the front bumped of the Prius before striking the bus near the front left tire." The impact from the car crash redirected the bus toward the southeast corner where pedestrian Amanda Schneider stood. She tried to run, but was struck and killed.
Casey McNerthney with the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office said, "An incident involving a bus like this and particularly rare when you think of the number of bus routes and rides that happen per day, the odds of things happening to you is very slim on Metro. But, it doesn't mean this victim's life was any less valuable, or this case was any less serious. This is a heartbreaking tragedy."
At the time of the incident, there were 14 passengers on the bus. Eleven of those individuals were transported to a nearby hospital to be treated for injuries sustained in the collision. As of this writing, Abelson is facing charges of vehicular homicide, reckless driving and having no valid operator's license.
McNerthney said, "If we get additional information from Seattle Police investigators, of course we are going to act on it with the same urgency." Abelson has a lengthy criminal record, including hit-and-run, vehicle prowling, making false statements to a public servant, theft and organized retail theft. McNerthney confirmed that, "Only a few of those came to our office."
Prosecutors argue that Abelson is a danger to the public and a flight risk who is not expected to appear for any court appearances "on his own volition."
Due to the nature of the incident and his criminal history, prosecutors argued for a bail of at least $500,000. McNerthney said, "In asking for this high bail amount, we wanted to make sure this information got before the court." Prosecutors and investigators are waiting on results from the state toxicology lab to see if Abelson was under the influence during the crash.
According to the King County Medical Examiner, Schneider, the pedestrian who was killed as a result of Abelson's actions, died of multiple blunt force injuries. Court documents state that, "She was hit by the bus and thrown against the building. She suffered catastrophic injuries and was immediately killed." Abelson was found unconscious and removed from the driver's seat of the sedan by first responders.
Abelson was on a pending "attempting to elude" case that involved "speeding away from a police officer and going through a red light in downtown Seattle" when he crashed into the bus. His bail on that charge is $50,000.
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Comments
2023-11-15T16:28-0600 | Comment by: Karen
The statement by Casey McNerthney is a joke, talking about rare bus accidents. Let's talk about the 50 warrants. Hold on he's coming!