US authorities say a 27-year-old man suspected of driving onto a closed freeway in Seattle and barrelling into a crowd of protesters has been arrested and booked on two counts of vehicular assault.
Two women were critically injured in the early Saturday morning incident.
Washington State Patrol Captain Ron Mead said Dawit Kelete of Seattle was being held without bail at the King County Correctional Facility.
Officials were trying to determine the motive as well as point of entry onto the interstate.
Mead said protesters had shut down the interstate for 19 consecutive days and the State Patrol responded by closing sections of the interstate to keep drivers and protesters safe.
Mead said Kelete was suspected of having driven the wrong way on a ramp.
Troopers did not know whether it was a targeted attack but impairment was not considered a factor.
Australian Associated Press