Seattle is suing the owner of the infamous “Belltown Hellcat.”
The city filed a lawsuit Tuesday in Seattle Municipal Court against Miles Hudson, 20, the latest in a string of legal actions against the Dodge Charger Hellcat SRT driver.
Hudson is known for and acutely recognized by his car’s loud revving and speeding, and the attention and ire it has drawn from residents of Belltown and beyond for months.
The lawsuit, which Hudson must respond to within 20 days, demands that he comply with the requirements of various traffic and city citations he has racked up related to the noise and speed of his Hellcat in recent months.
Hudson was barred from driving the Hellcat in April, after he was charged with two counts of reckless driving the previous month.
Hudson pleaded not guilty to the charges. His next hearing is scheduled for Monday. He declined to comment Wednesday.
A noise violation from the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections required Hudson to restore his Hellcat to a condition where it could not be heard from more than 75 feet away by April 15. He did not respond, and as such, has faced fines of up to $1,300 per day since then, according to lawsuit documents.
The city is asking the judge to order Hudson to comply, and to confirm restoration of his car by passing an inspection by the Seattle Police Department.
“In other words, to restore the vehicle so it is legal to operate on Seattle streets,” Tim Robinson, a spokesperson for the City Attorney’s Office, said Wednesday.
Hudson’s two reckless driving charges stem from an Instagram video posted on his account — which features 763,000 followers — in February that showed a driver racing another Dodge Charger at speeds up to 107 mph.
Before Hudson was charged with reckless driving, he told police he was going to continue his driving habits because of his social media following and that it was lucrative.
“I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing. I’m going to make a career out of this,” Hudson told police.
He’s since continued to post videos on Instagram, filming others driving the car and revving the engine with him in the passenger seat.
In addition to being barred from driving his Hellcat, a judge ordered him not to commit any criminal violations and not to drive without a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance, as conditions of his release following the charges.
According to the lawsuit, Hudson and his mother purchased the car last year. His mother is listed as the registered owner and he is listed as an additional owner. Robinson said Hudson’s mother is not involved in the suit.
Material from The Seattle Times archives is included in this report.