An 18-year-old has been indicted on manslaughter charges in a crash that killed two high school students in Virginia.
Usman Shahid, 18, was indicted on manslaughter charges for striking and killing two teenage girls with his car on June 7 in Oakton, Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano said.
Shahid was indicted by a Fairfax County grand jury on two counts of involuntary manslaughter. He did not appear in court on Thursday, but a hearing date was scheduled in the case and he is required to appear on July 8, Descano told WTOP.
“The indictment was something that we expected, but it doesn’t change the fact that this is a tragic incident that really could have been avoided,” Descano said. “We are committed to working towards accountability in a manner that promotes healing for all the families involved and our wider community.”
Each count is a felony and carries up to 10 years of prison time.
The girls were both Oakton High School students; the crash happened at Blake Lane and Five Oaks Road near the school, according to police.
Usman was speeding in a BMW when he collided with a Toyota 4Runner, police said.
“Usman’s speed at the first impact at the car that was making a left-hand turn — I believe his speed based on our investigation was 81 miles an hour,” said Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis on Thursday during a news conference.
Usman’s vehicle then ricocheted off the side of the road, hit the two girls, a third pedestrian and then a pole, according to police. The third person was injured in the crash. The families of one of the people killed and the person who was hurt have hired an attorney to pursue legal claims.
Descano says the case sheds light on teenage driving and how deadly it can be.
“This case really does show what can happen when people particularly teenagers don’t take the power of a car seriously,” Descano told WTOP. “These can be dangerous machines and if that power of the car is not respected, it can lead to tragic outcomes like it did here where we had two young girls who were killed.”
