Seattle Motorcyclist Charged in Fatal Hit-and-Run Involving Xing Chen and Min Huang

On April 18, 2025, a tragic incident unfolded in Seattle, Washington, when 43-year-old motorcyclist Tyler Shane O'Brien struck and killed 57-year-old Min Huang and injured her husband, 59-year-old Xing Chen, at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Way South and South Alaska Street. The couple was crossing the street when O'Brien, riding a red motorcycle, accelerated through the intersection, hitting Huang and causing severe injuries to Chen. According to reports, Huang courageously pulled her husband aside to shield him from a direct impact, though she sustained significant head trauma and passed away two days later at Harborview Medical Center. Xing Chen suffered injuries to his spine and right knee and continues to recover from the ordeal.

Following an investigation supported by community tips and cellphone tracking data, O'Brien was arrested on May 5, 2025, and charged on May 6 with felony hit-and-run, vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, and driving with a suspended license. The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office has requested a $500,000 bail, and O'Brien, currently under police custody while receiving medical treatment for an unrelated condition, is scheduled to enter a plea on May 19.