Driver Sentenced In Crash That Killed 2 Oakton High School Students

FAIRFAX, VA — A jury that had convicted Usman Shahid in the manslaughter case of two Oakton High School students who were killed in a crash in Fairfax County recommended a sentence to a total of four years in prison.

The jury recommended two years in prison on each involuntary manslaughter charges in the deaths of Ada Gabriela Martinez Nolasco and Leeyan Hanjia Yan. Shahid faced a potential sentence of 10 years in prison on each charge.

Before dismissing the jury, Circuit Court Judge Randy Bellows scheduled the final sentencing for 1 p.m. on July 19. Bellows can lessen the Shahid's sentence, but he is not allowed to raise it under Virginia law.

“This is one of the most tragic cases in Fairfax County’s history,” Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano said. “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.”

The jury began deliberations late Thursday afternoon, but were unable to reach a decision. They returned to the courthouse on Friday morning and spent about two hours of deliberations before they announced their verdict.

Police say that Shahid was driving a white BMW with two passengers on June 7, 2022, when it collided with a Toyota 4Runner driven by Ben Phan. The BMW then went over the curb, struck a fence and three pedestrians and came to a stop after striking a mailbox, utility box, and power pole.

A day after Shahid's convictions, both the prosecution and defense team presented witnesses to provide testimony to help jury members during their deliberations.

Martinez Nolasco's cousin, who was severely injured in the crash, told the court that she couldn't remember the incident. All she could recall was that the three students were excited to walk home since school was over for the summer. The next thing the 14-year-old remembered was waking up in the hospital. She did not learn her cousin and best friend had died until two days later.

"I felt like someone had punched me," she said. "We were supposed to graduate together, live our lives together. … And now those dreams are gone, taken away by Usman Shahid."

Speaking through an interpreter, Mariele Martinez told the jury she was at work when she learned her daughter, Ada, had been in an accident.

At the hospital, Mariele Martinez couldn't believe her daughter had died. The realization came when police asked her to identify Gabriela's belongings.

"All the dreams I had for her were gone," she said. "My dreams were gone. She was my first child. I couldn't believe it was my daughter. I couldn't believe that my daughter had died. I begged God to tell me this was a bad dream. It was the worst pain that a mother can have in the whole world."

Shahid, who police say was driving a BMW at 81 miles per hour southbound on Blake Lane just before the crash, only had a learner's permit at the time of the fatal crash. Virginia law requires that drivers must be 21 or older, or 18-years-old and accompanied by a legal guardian or sibling when they're driving. At the time of the crash, Shahid was 18 and a resident of Fairfax County.

Neither of the two passengers in the BMW were related to Shahid. He was charged on two manslaughter charges in connection with the crash.

Related: Crash Kills 2 Oakton High School Students, Injures Third: Police

Police say that Shahid was driving a white BMW with two passengers on June 7, 2022, when it collided with a Toyota 4Runner driven by Ben Phan. The BMW then went over the curb, struck a fence and three pedestrians and came to a stop after striking a mailbox, utility box, and power pole.

Phan testified earlier this month that he was turning left from the left northbound lane of Blake Lane onto Five Oaks Road on a yellow arrow, when he saw pedestrians in the crosswalk and stopped, according to NBC4.

"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," Phan said, according to NBC4's reporting.

Related: Families Await Answers 1 Year After Fatal Crash On Blake Lane

Defense attorney Peter Greenspun cross-examined retired Fairfax County Police Detective Christine Snyder, who was in charge of the Crash Reconstruction Unit's investigation.

Snyder testified that due to the location of the victims' bodies and where the BMW collided with the fence, they were likely not the pedestrians in the crosswalk who had caused Phan to stop his turn in the middle of the southbound lanes. She reported that Phan had described seeing a pedestrian with a "band instrument" in the crosswalk.