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Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
On the night she died, 65-year-old Carolyn Ellis was leaving a celebration, where she was honored for her community service.
That was no surprise to Ellis' friends, who remembered how many children she supported, how many she helped get scholarships, how many she helped get through college.
"She just had a sweet soul," said her best friend, Leslie Payne. "Carolyn didn't have children, but she had many children, many godchildren. ... A beautiful life is gone for no reason."
As Ellis crossed the street after the celebration, a black car traveling fast slammed into her in the crosswalk, police said. They say the driver was so drunk that he could not complete a field sobriety test.
"I heard the screaming," said Helen Gillespie, a security guard working nearby. "When I came out she was out in the middle of the street."
Ellis suffered massive head injuries and died at the hospital.
The driver, 36-year-old David Phillip Jones of Bowie, Maryland, kept driving after the crash. Police searched the area and found him nearby.
He has been charged with second-degree murder, leaving after colliding and driving under the influence.
He had also been arrested for DUI in 2011 and 2012 and has a criminal history that goes back nearly 20 years, including assault, drug and larceny charges.
