A U.S. Park Police officer pulled over Nakita Walker on Rock Creek Parkway, telling the woman with five prior DUIs that she had been traveling almost 80 mph and ordering her passenger to pour out the contents of a red plastic cup, video of the encounter shows. But as the officer walked back to his own vehicle and sat down, Walker sped away — reaching speeds of up to 100 mph, authorities said, before she plowed head-on into a Honda less than a mile away.
Washington, D.C
Driver charged in triple-fatal crash had valid license, despite past DUIs
At a hearing in D.C. Superior Court on Tuesday, authorities showed graphic footage and revealed new details of the crash that killed three people, and a defense attorney publicly confirmed that Walker had a valid license at the time of the crash — though D.C. law suggests that her convictions should have resulted in it being revoked.
The deadly encounter already had sparked outrage over whether city officials were doing enough to keep bad drivers off the roads; at the time, the SUV Walker drove had more than 40 outstanding traffic tickets with fines that totaled $12,300. Prosecutors noted in court Tuesday that Walker, 43, had racked up five DUIs since 2009. Her most recent conviction and sentence came in 2022.
“She seems to make a habit of doing this,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Carter said. “She’s a danger to this community given her criminal history.”
Killed in the crash were Mohamed Kamara, a 42-year-old Lyft driver working extra hours to save up for a trip to see his wife and daughter in Sierra Leone; and 23-year-old friends Olvin Torres Velasquez and Jonathan Cabrera Mendez, who requested a ride after a late dinner in the District.
About 20 family members and supporters of the victims sat in the courtroom and began wiping tears as photos of Kamara’s Honda were shown. The entire front and middle of the sedan were smashed and burned, leaving it virtually unrecognizable.
Walker, charged with second-degree murder in connection with the deaths, also wiped away tears.
Authorities said Walker’s blood alcohol level at the time of the crash was .10, above the legal limit of .08. She also tested positive for marijuana.
The D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles has long declined to address whether Walker had a valid license, though a defense attorney asserted in court that she did.
Responding to inquiries from D.C. Council Transportation Committee Chairman Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), DMV Director Gabriel Robinson said in a Monday letter that a person who has three alcohol-related offenses within five years would have their license revoked, with the option — but not a guarantee — to seek reinstatement after five years. The DMV generally handles the revocation process after being notified by the courts of a conviction.
But Robinson said that officials found “technical changes to the file transfer” that “may have affected DMV’s ability to process the files” related to Walker. He said the DMV and Superior Court officials are working to improve how such files are monitored, as well as ways to improve communication between the court and DMV employees. A D.C. Superior Court spokesman has asserted that his records showed the motor vehicle agency had been properly notified of Walker’s three past convictions for driving under the influence in D.C.
Allen spokesman Erik Salmi said Tuesday that his office plans to ask for more clarity regarding the “total universe of eligible suspensions.”
Robinson said the DMV suspended or revoked more than 2,000 licenses during fiscal 2021 and more than 1,900 licenses in fiscal 2022. As of Monday, the agency had revoked 1,029 licenses so far this year.
When the Park Police officer pulled over Walker at 1:34 a.m. just north of the Kennedy Center, he told her, “You were flying,” as he relayed her speed.
Walker told the officer that “I left my 10-year-old son at home by himself” and that she was trying to get to the house.
Court documents asserted that Walker and her passenger had been drinking Hennessy cognac. The officer told them that they were not allowed to have an open container of alcohol while driving.
Then, as the officer walked back to his own car, Walker sped away.
At 1:39 a.m., about a mile from where she was stopped, Walker’s Sirius XM radio called 911 to alert authorities of a crash, Park Police Detective Kevin Turner testified.
Walker told police later that she sped off because she believed her boyfriend had an illegal firearm, and she did not want him to get arrested.
Turner said a firearm was not found at the scene of the crash.
Walker’s public defender, Dana Page, said her client was hospitalized for weeks following the accident and still needed physical therapy and various medications, and asserted she was not receiving the proper treatment at the D.C. jail. Page argued that her client’s alcohol level was “relatively low,” albeit over the legal limit. In court, Walker used a cane to support herself.
Judge Robert Okun ordered Walker to remain in jail until trial, citing her repeated DUIs. “This is an incredibly serious offense,” Okun said. “She was ordered not to get behind a wheel after consuming alcohol, and now three decedents were killed.”
A follow-up hearing was scheduled for August.