Instagram Influencer Terrorizes Seattle in a Deafening Hellcat, City Council Fights Back
For months, residents of the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle have been complaining about a car belonging to 20-year-old Miles Hudson. The car is a modified Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat with a tiger-striped wrap, which is so loud it reaches 84 decibels while idling, the equivalent of a diesel train. Hudson is known for driving the car at night, waking up entire neighborhoods and often driving extremely recklessly. His Instagram page, @srt.miles, has 758,159 followers.
For months, city officials have gotten complaints about the car. One woman living with P.T.S.D. reported being woken to the sound of the car backfiring, which sounded like gunfire. “This is the first time in 13 years that I’ve started seriously considering moving out of downtown,” she said.
Belltown city council representative Bob Kettle believes that something needs to be done about the situation. “It’s shocking that somebody can make money by disturbing or impacting thousands of people on a nightly basis,” he said in an interview.
According to Mike Baker of The New York Times,“in answer to the city’s orders not to drive his car, he posted a new video (528,359 likes) in which he could be seen getting in the passenger seat of the Hellcat, with a woman at the wheel. She drove them away, the car roaring once again.” In another video, Hudson starts his car remotely from his balcony - at 3 in the morning.
Although many believe that his behavior is inconsiderate and dangerous, others enjoy his videos, which are “unencumbered by self-consciousness or regret,” writes Baker. When Hudson was pulled over by a police officer, he explained, “I feel like I’m doing my thing. I’ve turned it into a career, and the car has paid for itself. 650,000 followers.”
Surprisingly, Hudson’s Instagram account hasn’t been taken down yet, despite his reckless behavior.
“He’s clearly committing crimes,” said Belltown resident Chris Allen. “He’s documenting it on Instagram. It’s frustrating that Instagram hasn’t taken this down.” Although the videos remain online, they have provided the Seattle police with crucial evidence, such as locations, timestamps, and footage of his speedometer.
In March, the city charged Hudson with two counts of reckless driving for “operating a motor vehicle with a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons and/or property.” A few days later, The Department of Construction and Inspections notified Hudson that it had “investigated and found a violation or violations of the Seattle Noise Control Code.” He was ordered to modify the vehicle and to not “operate any motor vehicle that causes sound in violation of the Seattle Municipal Code.” In addition to the notice, Hudson faced a potential fine of $1,300 per day.
“For a couple of weeks, Mr. Hudson’s Instagram account remained quiet,” writes Baker. “Some people began to hope that the saga was nearing an end.” But last week, a new video of the Hellcat, as loud as before, was posted to his account with the caption “Villain arc.”