Who: Rep. Mari Leavitt, Ted Smith (father of Andrea Smith Hudson) and others who have lost loved ones to speeding.
What: Hearing for House Bill 1596 tentatively named the Andrea Smith Hudson Act.
When: During the House Transportation Committee Meeting, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Thursday, January 30, 2025.
Where: House Hearing Room B
Why: To provide testimony on the importance of preventing speeding re-offenses.
Ted Smith, Lori Markowitz, and others who have lost loved ones to speeding will join Rep. Mari Leavitt, D-University Place, to testify before the House Transportation Committee on House Bill 1596. This legislation, inspired, in part by the tragic accident in Renton that killed a mom and three children, will install speed limiters on the cars of drivers who have suspended licenses due to speeding or reckless driving. These limiters will act much like an ignition-mounted breathalyzer, preventing chronic speeders from endangering others.
Smith lost his daughter, Andrea Smith Hudson, and three children lost their lives last March due to a reckless driver traveling over 100 miles an hour. Markowitz lost her son, Josh, to an impaired and speeding driver fleeing house arrest for impaired driving in Texas. These are two examples of people, like many across Washington who have been harmed by fatal crashes involving excessive speeding in Washington State.