The Oakton driver behind a 2022 crash that killed two teenagers has been sentenced to four years in prison.
Earlier this week, 20-year-old Usman Shahid was convicted of two counts of involuntary manslaughter for the June 7, 2022 crash on Blake Lane, where he struck and killed two Oakton High School students while driving 46 mph over the 35-mph speed limit.
A jury proposed the sentence today (Friday) after issuing its verdict Wednesday (April 24).
“At trial, prosecutors proved that Shahid’s high rate of speed and lack of evasive action to avoid the situation were responsible for both the initial crash and the subsequent pedestrian collision,” the Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office said in a press release.
Multiple news outlets reported that, during the trial, prosecutors stated Shahid was driving his BMW at 81 mph on Blake Lane shortly before noon on the day of the crash. Students had been released early that day with the end of the school year approaching.
Upon seeing a yellow traffic light, Shahid accelerated and collided with a Toyota 4Runner that was turning left. Police testified that the collision forced Shahid’s vehicle off the road and onto the sidewalk, where it struck three teenage girls.
According to the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, a crash expert testified during the trial that the data recorder in Shahid’s vehicle showed he accelerated from 60 to 81 mph in the five seconds before the crash as he approached the intersection. The recorder also indicated that Shahid didn’t attempt to brake.
Two of the victims, 14-year-old Ada Gabriela Martinez Nolasco and 15-year-old Leeyan Hanjia Yan, died of their injuries, while a third teen was seriously hurt.
“This is one of the most tragic cases in Fairfax County’s history,” Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said in the release. “I have a daughter just a few months younger than Ada and Leeyan were – and I can’t imagine how broken I would be in her absence. My heart breaks for the families, friends, and loved ones of these young girls. While there is nothing that can make up for such an immense loss, I hope that this conviction can help our community finally begin to heal from this tragedy.”
A judge will finalize the sentence — which could be lower but not higher than the jury’s determination — later this year.
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