SEATTLE — A Bellevue Police Department officer who suffered "catastrophic" injuries after a fall from an Interstate 5 on-ramp is suing the state of Washington.
Officer Kevin Bereta suffered life-threatening injuries on Aug. 15, 2023 when he lost control of his motorcycle and was ejected from the bike while on an I-5 overpass in Seattle. Bereta fell more than 30 feet from the South Michigan Street overpass onto the southbound lanes of I-5.
The state Attorney General's Office confirmed they received the lawsuit.
"We will review it and determine next steps," they told KING 5.
The accident happened during Vice President Kamala Harris' visit to Seattle. Bereta was assigned to Harris' motorcade as part of the security detail during the visit. He ultimately underwent five surgeries and spent three weeks in intensive care at Harborview Medical Center for injuries to his back, leg and arm.
The law firm representing Officer Kevin Bereta, the Stritmatter Firm, alleges the state knew the barriers that were on the overpass at the time of the incident were too short. According to the lawsuit, Washington State Department of Transportation officials noted the inadequacy in 2014. The barriers are currently 27 inches tall when officials say the standard should be 42 inches to "render overpasses and bridges reasonably safe."
According to the lawsuit, the barriers have not been changed since 1965.
The lawsuit describes two other incidents where motorcycle riders crashed on that on-ramp and were launched over the barrier. One crash in 2018 was fatal. The other happened in 2020. According to WSDOT records cited in the lawsuit, there were 33 incidents on that on-ramp from July 2018 to August 2023, eight of which involved motorcycles.
The lawsuit did not identify any other negligent parties, as Washington state owns and is responsible for maintaining the roadway.