Virginia

FAIRFAX COUNTY

Driver convicted for high-speed crash that killed 2 Oakton High students

Usman Shahid was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter on Wednesday after the 2022 crash that killed two teens on Blake Lane. Evidence showed he was speeding at 81 mph in a 35 mph zone

By Julie Carey, News4 Northern Virginia Bureau Chief and Andrea Swalec • Published April 24, 2024 • Updated 2 hours ago

A driver was convicted for a 2022 crash that killed two teen girls who were walking home from Oakton High School in Fairfax County, Virginia. ... Usman Shahid, who was 18 at the time of the crash, was found guilty Wednesday of two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Victims' family members burst into tears as the verdict came down, while Shahid showed little emotion. ... “I feel like I can finally breathe again. We are beginning to get justice,” the mother of one victim told News4 partner Telemundo 44 in Spanish. ... The judge ordered Shahid to be jailed immediately, over his attorney’s objections.

Prosecutors said Shahid was driving a BMW and accelerated to 81 mph in a 35 mph zone on Blake Lane just before noon on June 7, 2022. It was an early release school day near the end of the school year. He saw that a traffic light was yellow, floored it and slammed into a Toyota 4Runner whose driver had been turning left. Police testified that the force of the crash sent Shahid’s BMW off the road and onto the sidewalk, where he hit three teen girls.

Shahid, who had three friends in the car and was driving on a learner’s permit, then plowed through a mailbox, utility box and power pole. ... One passenger testified that in the moments after the crash, Shahid said, “I think I killed three girls.” ... Two of the crash victims died of their injuries and the third was seriously hurt. ... A resident of the area described a heartbreaking scene after the crash, with a woman performing CPR on one victim. He said Shahid was worried about how his father would react to the crash.

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