SEATTLE — The suspect involved in a collision that killed a woman and sent a King County Metro bus crashing into a building in Seattle's Belltown area last weekend has been charged.
Adam Reuben Abelson, 31, was expected to be booked into the King County Jail on vehicular homicide, reckless driving and no valid operator license charges once he's medically cleared from Harborview Medical Center. Investigators found evidence of possible drug usage in Abelson's vehicle and served a blood warrant for a DUI investigation.
He was given a $500,000 bail. He is still at Harborview and is charged with vehicular homicide, reckless driving and no valid operator license.
Court documents said Abelson was driving a red sedan southbound on 5th Avenue at "highway speeds" and failed to stop at a red light when he collided with a bus traveling eastbound on Battery Street on Nov. 4. The collision forced the bus off the roadway, where it struck 28-year-old Amanda Schneider on the sidewalk and threw her into a building, according to court documents.
Schneider worked as a trainer at the Washington Athletic Club and was studying to become a psychologist. Her mother told KING 5 that she "left this Earth with still so much to give to the world."
Amanda's father, Karl Schneider, said, "She was a daddy's girl from the day she was born. I will never recover from this loss. She was my only child. I will miss her immensely."
Eight of the 11 passengers on the bus were taken to Harborview Medical Center and have since been released. As of Wednesday morning, Abelson remained in satisfactory condition, according to Harborview.
Firefighters confirmed there was no one inside the impacted portion of the building at the time of the crash.
King County Metro said the bus operator was treated and is currently on leave which is normal protocol.