Politics & Government
Father Still Grieves Loss Of Daughter Killed In Crash On Blake Lane
Two years after a fatal crash on Blake Lane in Fairfax, a father continues to grieve the loss of his 15-year-old daughter.
FAIRFAX, VA — People told Jie Yan that after two years the wound he felt at the loss of his 15-year-old daughter Lee Yan would be healed. But that's not the case. Yan compared the pain he was feeling to the loss of a limb.
"I just feel like I did the surgery," Yan told Patch on Friday. "The wound is healed, but one of my legs is lost and I'm handicapped. You know what I'm feeling? My one leg is gone. I lost my one leg. That's the feeling."
Yan, his wife, and other family members joined supporters Friday afternoon at the corner of Blake Lane and Five Oaks Road in Fairfax to mark the second anniversary of the deaths of Lee Yan Hanjia and her friend, Ada Gabriela Martinez Nolasco.
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Related: Driver Sentenced In Crash That Killed 2 Oakton High School Students
On June 7, 2022, the two Oakton High School students were walking home, looking forward to summer vacation, when a BMW driven by fellow Oakton High School student Usman Shahid, 18, struck them after his car collided with an SUV making a lefthand turn at the Five Oaks Road intersection. A third student walking home with Nolasco and Hanjia was severely injured in the crash.
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A Fairfax County jury convicted Shahid on April 25 on two counts of manslaughter in connection with the crash. The jury recommended a sentence of two years in prison for each charge.
Related: Driver In Crash That Killed 2 Students Convicted, Sentencing Delayed
The victim's families were not happy with the verdict, according to Jie Yan. At the start of the trial, Shahid faced a possible maximum sentence of 10 years on each manslaughter conviction. Instead of 20 years in prison, the maximum sentence he now faces is four years.
On July 19, at 1 p.m., Circuit Court Judge Randy Bellows will determine Shahid's final sentence based on the jury's recommendation. While Bellows is prohibited from sentencing Shahid to more than the recommended four years, he could decide to lower the sentence.
On Feb. 23, Jie Yan and his wife Young J. Lee filed a civil lawsuit in Fairfax County General District Court, where they hope to hold Shahid accountable for his actions on June 7, 2022.
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