Bike-to-School Day ride and rally at Bryant Elementary (UPDATES)

Wednesday, May 8 was Bike-to-School Day, and Bryant Elementary School students and family turned out in force.

Participating cyclists started their ride to school at the Wedgwood Top Pot Doughnuts, who provided morning treats. About 40 minutes later, and under Seattle Police escort, the group headed south on 35th Avenue NE toward Bryant Elementary (on NE 60th Street).

Once at school, everyone gathered on the playground for a rally and press conference. Speakers included:

    • Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Dr. José Banda
    • Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw
    • Seattle School Board President Kay Smith-Blum
    • Cascade Bicycle Club Education Director Julie Salathé
    • Bryant Elementary School Principal Kim Fox

And Ravenna Blog was there! Taking lots of pictures.

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 View from the Top Pot driveway off NE 70th Street as families gathered.

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Lesile Loper (AKA The Bike Fairy) in blue, next to Seattle Schools Superintendent Dr. José Banda in bright green. On the left in red is Michele Solis with her son, Linus (who I think had just taken a bite of a powdered sugar doughnut).

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 Overflow bike parking at the Wedgwood Top Pot along 35th Avenue NE.

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 This pink beauty was the first bike here this morning, as you can see in the tweet below:

 

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Clint Loper (Walk.Bike.Schools co-founder, Seattle Bicycle Advisory Board member, father of Bryant and Eckstein Middle School students, and husband to The Bike Fairy) was handing out these smiley bike pins. (The eyes are the wheels, get it?)

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A gaggle of bikers walks their rides through the crosswalk at NE 70th St and 35th Ave NE.

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KOMO TV morning photographer Fred Veinfurt let a few kids check out his camera gear while he was on scene with reporter Kelly Koopmans. Here’s Fred and his “students” from another angle:

 

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Many of the kid’s bikes were decorated. This one is even sporting a Seattle Children’s Bike to Work Month seat cover.

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 GIRLS RULE indeed.

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Another view from the NE 70th Street side of Top Pot, as the crowd swelled (in numbers and with doughnuts consumed).

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Here, Clint Loper (in black, with the bullhorn) thanks Bike to Bryant attendees for coming, and Top Pot Doughnuts for supporting the cause.

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Seattle Bike Blog‘s Tom Fucoloro (center) interviews Car Free Days‘ Anne King (right) while Robyn Ellis (behind the camera) records the conversation.

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Members of the Seattle Police Department line 35th Avenue NE and look for the start of the ride.

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The front row of riders get a briefing just before heading out onto 35th Avenue NE. Cascade Bicycle Club Education Director Julie Salathé is in the yellow jacket at right.

A *lot* of riders, no?! For contrast, here is the first Bike to Bryant Donut ride:

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And they’re off! Banda and The Bike Fairy lead the way.

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A number of Cascade Bicycle Club members were along for the ride, wearing red, white and black wool cycling shirts. The rider on the yellow bike here happens to be Kathy McCabe, Deputy Director of the Cascade Bicycle Club.

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Cyclists of all ages and sizes, heading to school.

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No worries: Her dad had the other wheel. (Two unicyclers in the family!)

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 Cyclists fill the streets while the media lines the sidewalks.

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The Seattle Bike Blog people-powered news van on its way to the rally.

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Back of the pack. Clint, armed with his cowbell, is on the far left.

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And Michele Solis and her moving sculpture-style ride brought up the rear.

The Cascade Bicycle Club has a video of the start of the ride, as well as a sped-up version of the route to school:

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One the primary school peloton arrived at Bryant Elementary, everyone cruised around to the playground behind the school for the Bike to School Day rally.

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Ready to ring, or tweet, at a moment’s notice.

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 Bryant Elementary School Principal Kim Fox addresses her students.

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Cascade Bicycle Club recorded Superintendent Banda’s speech, and you can view it below:

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This is Brian Dougherty, the Safe Routes to School Coordinator with the Seattle Department of Transportation, dressed for the occasion.

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Here, a KIRO TV photojournalist gets an exclusive with The Bike Fairy.

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I took a picture of this balance bike, thinking it was an ancient family heirloom. Talking to the family that owns it revealed that the bike was only about two years old — it gets USED.

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 Councilmember Sally Bagshaw spoke to the crowd as well.

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And here’s Seattle School Board President Kay Smith-Blum speaking to the kids from the podium, the younger ladies literally hanging on her every word.

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Shots from the PACKED bike racks behind Bryant.

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Who doesn’t love a miniature vanity license plate?

 

Tim King of Bike Free Days tallied the kid’s bikes at the end of the ride:

 

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UPDATE (Thursday, May 9): Here’s Q13FOX’s coverage of the event (not embedded here due to its autoplay feature).

And here is the video of the event that the Seattle Bike Blog put together. Includes an interview with Car Free Days’ Anne King:

And here’s KIRO TV’s coverage.

“Get Your Bloom On” at the Olympic View Plant Sale

The 12th Annual Olympic View Elementary School Plant Sale is happening this Friday and Saturday, April 26 and 27, from 9 AM-7 PM each day.

“Get growing with vegetable and fruit starts, herbs, flowering annuals, premium perennials, pottery, garden art, and more!”

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All proceeds directly benefit the students of Olympic View Elementary (located at 509 NE 95th Street just south of Northgate Mall).

Special events on Saturday include crafts for kids (11 AM – 2 PM) and Peaks Frozen Custard (from noon – 5 PM)

Flashing school zone beacons going up on NE 75th Street (UPDATE)

This morning, a crew of three Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) workers started installing the first of two flashing school zone beacons on NE 75th Street.

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We were told by a crew member that both beacons, one on either side of Eckstein Middle School, would be installed by tomorrow, Friday, April 5.

Once the beacons are in, the next step is for Seattle City Light to hook them up to power.

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These flashing school zone beacons are one of the first projects listed by SDOT as planned improvements to NE 75th Street.

Thank you to the Wedgwood Community Council, who spotted the work happening this morning and spread the word on twitter.

UPDATE (Monday, April 22): On Friday, April 19, we got word from Seattle City Light’s Scott Thomsen that a crew had connected the east beacon that morning already, but would be back around 1 PM to connect the other.

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With that notice, the entire Ravenna Blog newsroom sped up the hill, in the rain, to catch the crew at their work…only to reach them just as they were pulling away!

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That was fast.

Now that spring break is over for Seattle students, we’re looking into whether the beacons have been in use yet or not. We’ll update this post again when we know for sure.

Clothing, furniture, and all that jazz: Eckstein Band rummage sale this Saturday

A rummage sale to benefit the band programs at Eckstein Middle School (3003 NE 75th St) on Saturday, April 6, from 9 AM – 4 PM.

Furthermore, if you’ve got time (and stuff) on Friday afternoon, they’re still accepting donations:

Bring your donations (gently used clothes, household items, books, music, furniture, and sporting equipment to the Eckstein cafeteria between 1:30 and 4:00 pm. (The cafeteria’s exterior entrance faces the garden area in the back parking lot.)

As you shop the deals on Saturday, you can nibble on something from the concurrently-running bake sale, and listen to music from Eckstein’s award-winning jazz combos.

We’re sure that plenty of items will be marked at 99 cents, but we’ll bet that they’ll all have been washed prior to the sale.

Meeting between city, neighborhood representatives yields NE 75th St improvement plan

In the early afternoon of Monday, April 1, before the Memorial Walk for the Schulte family, neighborhood groups, pedestrian/bicycle safety advocates, and staff from Eckstein Middle School, gathered at Eckstein (3003 NE 75th St). They met with representatives from the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), the Mayor’s Office, and the Seattle Police Department and discussed plans to improve the safety of NE 75th Street.

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The Mayor’s Office met with SDOT several times throughout the last week, and developed a list of planned improvements and actions for NE 75th Street (4 KB PDF; presented to the assembled groups that afternoon), including:

• Installing a flashing school zone beacon on Northeast 75th Street in front of the school

• SDOT will begin the process of evaluating and potentially installing a school zone speed camera on Northeast 75th Street

• The crosswalk at Northeast 68th Street and 25th Avenue Northeast will be remarked with fresh and highly visible paint

• The intersection of Northeast 68th Street and 25th Ave Northeast will be evaluated for a traffic signal

• SDOT will install new pedestrian countdown heads [crosswalk signs with timers] at 75th Street Northeast and Northeast 31st Street

• SDOT has already installed pedestrian countdown heads at 75th Street Northeast and Northeast 35th Street

The timeline for these improvements shows a tentative completion date of August 2013 (just before Seattle Public Schools are back in session for the 2013-1014 school year).

Read more about the planned street safety improvements on the Mayor’s blog, here.

Hundreds walk to remember, honor the Schulte family (PHOTOS)

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Walkers gathered under the swaying palms of the Wedgwood Top Pot before setting out.

Seattle Police Department officers wait to escort everyone down local streets. Local traffic was blocked as the group walked to and the memorial site.

Seattle Police Department officers and their rides wait to escort everyone down local streets. Local traffic was blocked as the group walked to and the memorial site.

 

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Pedestrian and cyclists, young and old, the sighted and the blind all participated, and fueled up with coffee and doughnuts beforehand, provided by Top Pot.

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This walker in orange was one of three I noticed walking with a white cane. She is pictured with her ASL interpreter (the woman in orange is Deaf-Blind).

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The walkers spread out to cover 35th Avenue NE on the way to the memorial site (1 of 6).

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The walkers spread out to cover 35th Avenue NE on the way to the memorial site (2 of 6).

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The walkers spread out to cover 35th Avenue NE on the way to the memorial site (3 of 6).

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The walkers spread out to cover 35th Avenue NE on the way to the memorial site (4 of 6).

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The walkers spread out to cover 35th Avenue NE on the way to the memorial site (5 of 6).

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The walkers spread out to cover 35th Avenue NE on the way to the memorial site (6 of 6).

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A cameraman films the start of the walk on 35th Avenue NE.

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The group walks west on NE 73rd Street, after turning off 35th Avenue NE.

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Seattle Mayor Michael McGinn (center, light blue shirt) walks with Schulte family members down NE 73rd Street.

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More walkers heading down NE 73rd Street.

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Here the group is shown walking north on 33rd Avenue NE, taking the approximate route the family took on Monday, March 25. On the left side, Lacia Lynne Bailey, Judy’s Truffle (the baby goat), and some Schulte family members and friends stand where Bailey chatted with the Schultes one week ago. She was the last person to speak to the family before they attempted to cross NE 75th Street.

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More walkers heading up 33rd Avenue NE, to the memorial site.

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33rd Avenue NE and NE 75th Street. Some family members stand together on the right, behind the main crowd.

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Bailey talks to Dan Schulte, husband of Karina and father to Elias, who are both still at Harborview Medical Center. They are flanked by a female neighbor from the immediate area and two of Dan’s cousins.

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Members of the Schulte family, gathered in front of the memorial. Hundreds of neighbors and complete strangers have stopped by throughout the week to pay their respects, Bailey told us. She has been tending the site daily ever since people started leaving flowers, notes, or other tokens after the tragedy.

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One of the Seattle Police Department officers who escorted the walkers to and from the memorial site looks on.

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“Look out for pedestrians.”

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After spending some time at the memorial, the walk heads back to the starting point, heading east on NE 75th Street, before heading south down 35th Avenue NE.

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Mayor McGinn talks with Dongho Chang,(Chief Traffic Engineer for the Seattle Department of Transportation) at 33rd Avenue NE and NE 75th Street.

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Before starting down NE 75th Street with his family, this dad said to his small son, “This is the one time we’re walking in the street, buddy.”

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Mayor McGinn with Bailey, and Judy’s Truffle. Bailey has added to the baby goat’s original name in remembrance of Judy Schulte.

My thoughts, from Sunday, March 31:

More on this story on Ravenna Blog:

Memorial service in Indiana for Judy and Dennis Schulte (last updated on Thursday, April 11)

Arraignment of NE 75th Street DUI homicides suspect on Thursday (last updated on Thursday, April 11)

Timeout to say THANK YOU, on behalf of the Schulte family (last updated on Sunday, April 7)

Prayer Vigil for mother and child this Thursday night (PHOTOS) (last updated on Friday, March 29)

Memorial to the family at NE 75th St grows (PHOTOS) (last updated on Sunday, March 31)

Memorial and medical funds set up for victims of Monday’s traffic tragedy (last updated on Thursday, March 28)

Suspect in Monday’s traffic fatalities no stranger to DUIs (last updated on Sunday, March 31)

Multiple casualty incident on NE 75th St near Eckstein Middle School (PHOTOS) (last updated on Wednesday, March 27)

One Week Later: A Memorial Walk for the Community (UPDATE)

The Seattle Neighborhood Greenways group, along with other members of the local community, has coordinated a Memorial Walk on Monday, April 1, from 4-5 PM.

That date and time marks one week from the day that Judy and Dennis Schulte lost their lives while crossing NE 75th Street at 33rd Avenue NE with their daughter-in-law, Karina Ulriksen-Schulte, and her then 10-day-old son, Elias. Mother and son are still in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center.

All four were struck by a drunk driver traveling over the speed limit westbound on NE 75th Street just after 4 PM on Monday, March 25.

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The circular walk will start and end* at Wedgwood Top Pot Doughnuts (6845 35th Ave NE), stopping at the memorial site in between.

*UPDATE: The direction shown on the Seattle Neighborhood Greenways map may not be correct — The walk may instead start west on NE 70th Street, later mimicking the walk north along 33rd Avenue NE that the Schulte family made together.


View Memorial Walk for the Schulte Family in a larger map

For those whom mobility is a problem, the plan as we know it is to be gathered at the memorial site (33rd Avenue NE and NE 75th Street) at 4:30 PM.

From the Seattle Neighborhood Greenways event page:

You can bring flowers. Or bring canned food to leave at the site that will be taken to the University Food Bank. Dennis and Judy Schulte, who were killed on Monday, had a passion to provide food for at-risk children.

A Facebook event page has also been set up.

Mayor Michael McGinn will be participating in the walk along with several other Mayor’s Office and City Hall staff members. The Seattle Police Department will also be present.

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More on this story on Ravenna Blog:

Arraignment of NE 75th Street DUI homicides suspect on Thursday (last updated on Tuesday, April 9)

Timeout to say THANK YOU, on behalf of the Schulte family (last updated on Sunday, April 7)

Hundreds walk to remember, honor the Schulte family (PHOTOS) (last updated on Monday, April 1)

Prayer Vigil for mother and child this Thursday night (PHOTOS) (last updated on Friday, March 29)

Memorial to the family at NE 75th St grows (PHOTOS) (last updated on Sunday, March 31)

Memorial and medical funds set up for victims of Monday’s traffic tragedy (last updated on Thursday, March 28)

Suspect in Monday’s traffic fatalities no stranger to DUIs (last updated on Sunday, March 31)

Multiple casualty incident on NE 75th St near Eckstein Middle School (PHOTOS) (last updated on Wednesday, March 27)

Memorial to the family at NE 75th Street grows (PHOTOS, UPDATES)

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Stopped by NE 75th Street and 33rd Avenue NE around 5:15 on Tuesday afternoon. Took some pictures of the growing monument of flowers, notes, and candles. Talked with some neighbors and reporters. Watched a lot of cars go by.

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“We hope you get the chance to graduate.”

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Peace be to the memory of the grandparents.

And may the young family find the strength they need in the weeks and months to come.

 

UPDATE (Wednesday, March 27): Lacia Bailey, who lives across the street from the memorial site, has been acting as caretaker of the items left under the bright yellow forsythia at the corner of NE 75th Street and 33rd Avenue NE. Here are some photos she took of the site this evening:

 

UPDATE (Sunday, March 31): On Friday, we stopped by again.

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More on this story on Ravenna Blog:

Memorial service in Indiana for Judy and Dennis Schulte (last updated on Thursday, April 11)

Arraignment of NE 75th Street DUI homicides suspect on Thursday (last updated on Thursday, April 11)

Timeout to say THANK YOU, on behalf of the Schulte family (last updated on Sunday, April 7)

Hundreds walk to remember, honor the Schulte family (PHOTOS) (last updated on Monday, April 1)

Prayer Vigil for mother and child this Thursday night (PHOTOS) (last updated on Friday, March 29)

Memorial and medical funds set up for victims of Monday’s traffic tragedy (last updated on Thursday, March 28)

Suspect in Monday’s traffic fatalities no stranger to DUIs (last updated on Sunday, March 31)

Multiple casualty incident on NE 75th St near Eckstein Middle School (PHOTOS) (last updated on Wednesday, March 27)

Memorial and medical funds set up for victims of Monday’s traffic tragedy (UPDATES)

In an effort to help the family of those injured or killed in Monday’s multiple casualty incident, funds have been set up to assist with medical and memorial costs.

Donations may be made at HomeStreet Bank, Wedgwood Branch, to these funds:

Karina & Elias Ulriksen-Schulte Medical Fund (the mother and baby)
Account: 5322733430
Routing #: 325084426

Dennis & Judy Schulte Memorial Fund (the grandparents)
Account: 5388871396
Routing #: 325084426

You can also donate online at the Wedgwood Community Council’s website.

You can call this branch directly at 206-525-2840 or 800-537-8333.

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UPDATE (Thursday, March 28): We have learned that there is another medical fund for Karina and baby Elias, set up by friends of the family. You can donate to that fund here.

More on this story on Ravenna Blog:

Memorial service in Indiana for Judy and Dennis Schulte (last updated on Thursday, April 11)

Arraignment of NE 75th Street DUI homicides suspect on Thursday (last updated on Thursday, April 11)

Timeout to say THANK YOU, on behalf of the Schulte family (last updated on Sunday, April 7)

Hundreds walk to remember, honor the Schulte family (PHOTOS) (last updated on Monday, April 1)

Prayer Vigil for mother and child this Thursday night (PHOTOS) (last updated on Friday, March 29)

Memorial to the family at NE 75th St grows (PHOTOS) (last updated on Sunday, March 31)

Suspect in Monday’s traffic fatalities no stranger to DUIs (last updated on Sunday, March 31)

Multiple casualty incident on NE 75th St near Eckstein Middle School (PHOTOS) (last updated on Wednesday, March 27)

Suspect in Monday’s traffic fatalities no stranger to DUIs (UPDATES)

The 50-year-old man arrested at the scene of Monday’s multiple casualty incident at NE 75th Street and 33rd Avenue NE was booked into King County Jail that night on investigation of vehicular homicide.

Police speak with the driver of the pickup involved in a fatal vehicle-pedestrian accident near Eckstein Middle School in North Seattle on Monday. (Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times)

Police speak with the driver of the pickup involved in a fatal vehicle-pedestrian accident near Eckstein Middle School in North Seattle on Monday. (Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times)

The suspect, driving a black Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck westbound on NE 75th Street, allegedly struck four pedestrians as they crossed the arterial at 33rd Avenue NE just after 4 PM. Two were pronounced dead at the scene by Seattle Fire Department staff. The other two were transported to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition.

The busy arterial was closed between 31st and 35th Avenues NE for hours while the Seattle Police Department’s Traffic Collision Investigation Squad detectives processed the scene.

King County Jail records show that the suspect was previously booked into jail on December 27, 2012 for a DUI-related charge. He was released on January 7, 2013. Then, on January 14, he was charged with Driving Under the Influence in Snohomish County. He was released on $10,000 bail.

Other news outlets have released the suspect’s name, but is Ravenna Blog policy to not name suspects until they have been formally charged with a crime.

The bail hearing for the suspect is scheduled for 2:30 PM today in the King County Jail’s Courtroom 1. We will add information about that hearing here, when it comes in.

UPDATE (2:45 PM): Seattle P-I reporter Casey McNerthney is in the courtroom for the bail hearing, reporting that he suspect has waived his right to appear.

Bail is set at $2.5 million. KOMO reporting that the prosecution was asking for $2 million.

UPDATE (3:15 PM): More information from the bail hearing.

Prosecutors said the suspect was driving with a suspended license, and his blood alcohol level was measured as 0.22 after the incident. The legal limit in Washington state is 0.08.

It is possible to continue to drive in Washington state with a suspended license,  if the person gets a restricted license called an Ignition Interlock Driver License (IIL). A device is installed in the driver’s vehicle that requires a breath test before the vehicle will start. It can also require additional “rolling retests” while the vehicle is being driven.

The suspect did not have this device installed in his truck.

Here’s McNerthney’s full story on the incident and the suspect.

UPDATE (Wednesday, March 27): The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s website says, “A second court appearance is scheduled [at the bail hearing on Tuesday] for March 28, which is also the deadline for a charging decision.” The Daily Docket goes on to say that the Court has found probable cause to charge the suspect with two counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of vehicular assault.

UPDATE (Sunday, March 31): On Thursday, March 28, Mark W. Mullan was formally charged with two counts of Vehicular Homicide and two counts of Vehicular Assault (all felonies). Mullan is scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday, April 11, at the King County Courthouse, Courtroom 1201.

We will have a full post on the suspect and these charges later in the week (first week of April).

UPDATE (Tuesday, April 9): Our post with the details of the incident is now up, here.

More on this story on Ravenna Blog:

Memorial service in Indiana for Judy and Dennis Schulte (last updated on Thursday, April 11)

Arraignment of NE 75th Street DUI homicides suspect on Thursday (last updated on Thursday, April 11)

Timeout to say THANK YOU, on behalf of the Schulte family (last updated on Sunday, April 7)

Hundreds walk to remember, honor the Schulte family (PHOTOS) (last updated on Monday, April 1)

Prayer Vigil for mother and child this Thursday night (PHOTOS) (last updated on Friday, March 29)

Memorial to the family at NE 75th St grows (PHOTOS) (last updated on Sunday, March 31)

Memorial and medical funds set up for victims of Monday’s traffic tragedy (last updated on Thursday, March 28)

Multiple casualty incident on NE 75th St near Eckstein Middle School (PHOTOS) (last updated on Wednesday, March 27)