Emotional testimony came in court Thursday from a key witness in the June 2022 crash that killed two Oakton High School students who were walking home from school in Fairfax County, Virginia.
That witness is the driver of an SUV involved in the crash. The driver of the other vehicle in the crash, who was 18 at the time, is on trial for two counts of involuntary manslaughter.
The young man’s defense is trying to place the blame for the crash on the SUV driver.
Police say Usman Shahid was driving a BMW at 81 mph on Blake Lane when his vehicle collided with an SUV that was turning left. Shahid’s car drove up on the sidewalk, killing two girls and injuring a third before plowing through a mailbox, utility box and power pole.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
A court exhibit showed the deadly path of Shahid's BMW.
In court Thursday, jurors heard from the driver of the SUV. The commonwealth attorney’s office is giving him immunity in exchange for his testimony.
Under questioning from the prosecutor, the driver of the SUV said he had a blinking yellow turn arrow when he saw his path was clear. He said he began to turn left while also noticing a white sedan, as he described it, two football fields away. But the driver of the SUV says he suddenly saw pedestrians enter the crosswalk, so he stopped.
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia news, events and updates
He tearfully described what happened next: "I was waiting for the tail end of the group coming through … I felt, like, a slam. It was a train-like collision I’ve never experienced before … My initial thought was it was a bad movie … I was in shock."
But in a tense cross examination, defense attorney Peter Greenspun suggested he was the one at fault, asking, "Why didn’t you see three kids, one carrying a large music instrument, walking down that sidewalk … if you were so carefully surveying that intersection. You weren’t looking, were you?"
He responded: "I was more focused on making the left turn."
Greenspun, pressed harder, accusing the driver of the SUV of hitting Shahid’s car, asking: "From the time you saw the BMW the second time … How long was it before you struck that car?"
He pushed back, saying, "I was stationary and that car struck me, slammed into me."
Police and prosecutors insist it was Shahid speeding down the road who should be blamed, asking the driver of the SUV, "Did you think you had done something wrong after this accident occurred?"
He firmly said no.
The families of the three victims have filed civil lawsuits against both drivers.
A nationally known crash expert also testified, supporting the prosecution. He said the BMW's sophisticated data recorder showed Shahid accelerated from 60 to 81 mph and never applied the brakes.
