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Driver charged in connection to deadly crash off I-5 overpass enters plea

KENT, Wash. — A 30-year-old man accused of a deadly hit and run pleaded not guilty to several charges Monday morning at the King County Regional Justice Center in Kent.

Daud Mohamud was read a long list of charges alongside his attorney in the Kent courtroom. He’s accused of being behind the wheel of an SUV on March 7, 2025, that jumped a barrier and plowed onto Interstate 5 from State Route 599 in the Tukwila area.

Court documents and police reports showed that Mohamud was driving on a suspended license at the time of the crash, and was supposed to have an ignition interlock but police were not able to find one in his vehicle the day of the crash.

One person was killed in the incident according to the Washington State Patrol report: 26-year-old Abdiqadir Ahmed. Ahmed’s sister, Amina, was in court for the arraignment.

“I have so much hurt, I am just so confused,” Amina said, speaking to the media after the court proceedings that were delayed because Mohamud’s attorney ran late. Because of the delay, Amina had to sit next to the man accused of killing her brother.

As the court proceedings continued, she became distraught over the trauma.

“I can’t imagine how can somebody do something like that,” Amina said.

The vehicle that Ahmed was riding in plowed onto the interstate, causing a deadly crash, and the prosecution says Mohamud was the driver.

Police reports claim Mohamud ran away from the scene and was caught by troopers a short time later. WSP reports show four vehicles were involved. Amina was angered by some of the statements police claimed he gave to the troopers.

“He said that whoever died and passed away was the driver, which is just so heartless,” she said.

Court documents claim Mohamud said the person who was dead in the SUV was the one driving, not him. The probable cause documents provided by the King County Prosecutor’s Office also claimed that Mohamumd stated he had picked up his friend at his house and when he did he let his friend drive as he got in the back seat.

In court Monday, Mohamud faced charges, including felony hit and run, driving with a suspended license, violating an ignition interlock requirement, and four counts of reckless endangerment. He pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

For Amina, the charges are warranted.

“I never thought in my life that I would lose my youngest brother who was just 26 years old,” she said.

Mohamud did post bail and has been released. On Monday, the judge presiding over his hearing agreed with the prosecution on electronic home detention and said Mohamud and others cannot reach out to the victim’s family. That includes Amina who still is reeling from the loss of her brother just a few weeks ago.

“He had his life ahead of him, I never, I never would imagine anything like this.”

Mohamud is expected back in court on March 31.


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