Washington, D.C
100 mph driver found not guilty of murder in deadly Rock Creek Parkway crash
A driver who fled a traffic stop on D.C.’s Rock Creek Parkway and crashed into a Lyft car, killing all three men inside in 2023, was found not guilty of second-degree murder.
Nakita Walker was found guilty on Monday morning of three counts of involuntary manslaughter, fleeing a law enforcement officer and assault with a dangerous weapon.
Walker was driving 100 mph when she crashed into a Honda at about 1:30 a.m. March 15, 2023, an expert witness testified.
The crash victims were Mohamed Kamara, 42; Olvin Torres Velasquez, 22; and Jonathan Cabrera Mendez, 23. Kamara was driving for Lyft to send money home to his family in Sierra Leone. His two passengers were on their way home to Arlington after a night out in D.C.
Walker had no visible reaction in court as the verdict was announced. The victims’ families were not in the courtroom.
News4 has covered the crash since it happened and the court case since Walker was charged with murder.
Walker pleaded not guilty to three counts of second-degree murder. She was accused of being drunk behind the wheel and had three previous DUI convictions.
Nakita Walker was traveling 100 miles per hour on Rock Creek Parkway for 10 seconds before the March 2023 crash that claimed the lives of three men, according to new testimony from the District’s chief medical examiner. News4’s Paul Wagner reports.
‘Is there a reason you’re driving like 80 miles an hour?’
Police body camera video shows the moments before and after the tragedy. An officer pulled over Walker near the Kennedy Center and asked why she was speeding.
“Is there a reason you’re driving like 80 miles an hour, blowing red lights?” an officer asks.
Walker was behind the wheel and Donnell Thomas, who was not charged, was in the passenger seat, prosecutors said. Walker told the officer she was rushing to get home to her son, who she said was 10 years old and alone.
Thomas can be seen on video pouring out of the window what was revealed in testimony to be liquor out of a cup before the officer noticed what appeared to be marijuana in his pocket. The officer informed him he couldn’t have marijuana on federal property and confiscated it.
A few seconds later, the video shows Walker speed off.
A short time after Walker fled the traffic stop, she slammed into the Lyft car, killing all three men inside.
A U.S. Park Police officer’s body camera showed him arriving at the crash scene. Walker is seen on the ground.
Body camera video from a D.C. officer responding to the crash captured the moment he realized all three men were dead.
Prosecutors said Walker had a blood alcohol content of 0.10, which is 0.02 above the legal limit.
Thomas testified under a grant of immunity, saying he had been concerned with Walker’s behavior that night. Thomas told the court he told Walker at least twice that he should drive but she insisted.
On the witness stand, Thomas testified that Walker sped off because the officer was harassing him for having liquor in a cup and marijuana in his pocket.
Thomas testified that he pulled Walker out of the car after the crash. A man who came upon the crash scene before police arrived testified that he pulled her out.
The D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles and D.C. Superior Court are pointing fingers to explain why the license of a woman with three prior DUIs was not suspended at the time she allegedly caused a deadly wrong-way crash. News4’s Paul Wagner reports.
D.C.’s chief medical examiner told jurors the men all died of multiple blunt force trauma injuries. As the jury was shown autopsy photos of the victims, Walker never looked up from her seat at the defense table.
Stay with NBC Washington for more details on this developing story.
Washington, D.C
If and when Trump’s name is removed from the Kennedy Center, you can watch it live – WTOP News
The livestreaming camera is situated across the street from the Kennedy Center in an undisclosed location. Its lens is trained on the front of the building, where the removal is expected take place.
A group opposed to the installation of Donald Trump’s name on the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has installed a remote camera so people can watch the removal live if and when it happens. The administration has been ordered to remove Trump’s name by Friday.
The livestreaming camera is situated across the street from the Kennedy Center in an undisclosed location. Its lens is trained on the front of the building, where the removal is expected take place.
Late last month, a federal judge in D.C. ordered Trump’s name be removed from the building and a two-year closure for renovations also be stopped.
“I was actually listening to WTOP in the car. I recorded it because I was so happy when I heard it,” said Chris Raleigh with the group Hands Off the Arts, referring to the announcement that the administration must remove Trump’s name from the building.
The president’s name has already been removed from the official government website and related printed and digital branding.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper ruled that the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees exceeded its authority when it unilaterally rebranded the institution as the “Trump Kennedy Center.” Cooper ruled Trump’s name must be removed by Friday, June 12.
“The president meant it as a symbol of domination, that I am in charge, that this is what I want, and I don’t care what anyone else wants,” said Raleigh.
His group is running the live camera because if Trump’s name is removed in the middle of the night, they will have footage of it and people can see it.
“I think we were all upset as a city and as a country when we saw Trump illegally put his name up there because it’s a memorial to a president who was killed in the line of duty,” Raleigh said.
The judge ruled that Congress created and named the Kennedy Center and that only Congress has the authority to rename it.
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Washington, D.C
Oregon pulls out of Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Oregon will not participate in President Donald Trump’s upcoming Great American State Fair in Washington, D.C.
Washington state also opted out of the fair, which is organized by Freedom 250, a nonprofit aligned with Trump.
Organizers say all 50 states and U.S. territories will still be represented when the event begins June 25.
READ ALSO | PHOTOS: White House prepares for UFC spectacle ahead of America’s 250th birthday
In a statement to KATU, Gov. Tina Kotek’s office said Oregon withdrew because of “the cost of participating in the Fair and growing concerns that the event in Washington, D.C. is shaping up to be a more partisan affair than originally presented.”
Despite the decision, Kotek’s office said the state remains committed to celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary.
“The Governor will still be proudly celebrating America’s semiquincentennial here in Oregon and is looking forward to all of the great exhibitions and events the America 250 Oregon Commission will be planning through the summer and beyond,” the statement said.
The Great American State Fair is scheduled to open June 25 in the nation’s capital as part of celebrations marking the United States’ semiquincentennial.
Washington, D.C
HEAT ALERT issued for DC through June 13 — here’s how to stay cool
WASHINGTON (7News) — Mayor Muriel Bowser has issued a HEAT ALERT for D.C. as hot, humid conditions increase the risk of heat-related illness.
The alert remains in effect until 8 a.m. Saturday, June 13.
SEE ALSO | Weather Alert Day: Heat Advisory and severe storm chances Thursday
Temperatures will feel hotter
Officials said daytime temperatures will feel like 95 degrees or hotter, while overnight temperatures may feel like 80 degrees or hotter.
Hot temperatures and humidity during the day and overnight can increase the risk of heat-related illnesses, especially for people working outside or participating in outdoor activities.
Cooling centers available
Residents can find cooling centers by visiting heat.dc.gov or calling 311 for hours and locations.
Officials are urging residents to stay in air-conditioned or shaded areas, drink plenty of water, and limit time outdoors during the hottest parts of the day.
Check on neighbors, pets
Residents are also encouraged to check on neighbors, especially seniors, children, people with disabilities, and others with access or functional needs.
Officials said children, pets, and service animals should never be left in hot vehicles.
Anyone who sees an animal left outside in extreme heat or in distress can call the Humane Rescue Alliance’s Humane Law Enforcement team at 202-723-5790 ext. 1.
People who need free, accessible transportation to a day center or low-barrier shelter can call the shelter hotline at 202-399-7093 or dial 311.
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