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.

Officers responded to reports of gunfire in the area around Washington DC’s Lafayette Park just after midnight local time (04:00 GMT) and conducted a search of the park, just north of the president’s residence, and the surrounding area, the agency said.

WASHINGTON —  In addition to articles already covered by Native News Online, here is a roundup of other news released from Washington, D.C. that impacts Indian Country recently.

Trump FY 2027 Budget Proposes Eliminating Funding for Institute of American Indian Arts

The Trump administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget proposal, released Friday, April 3, 2026, calls for the elimination of federal operating funding for the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), drawing sharp opposition from the institution’s leadership.

IAIA’s Board of Trustees and administration condemned the proposal as reckless and inconsistent with the federal government’s treaty obligations, trust responsibility, and longstanding commitment to American Indian and Alaska Native higher education.

If enacted, the proposal would cut IAIA’s annual federal appropriation from $13.482 million to zero beginning in the next funding cycle. Leaders say the loss would severely impact the school’s ability to maintain academic programs, student support services, and daily operations—placing at risk an institution that has served as an international center for contemporary Indigenous arts and cultural leadership for more than 60 years.

“IAIA exists because Native artists, Native communities, and Congress recognized that Indigenous creativity and cultural knowledge are vital to this country,” said IAIA President Dr. Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo). “Eliminating IAIA’s federal appropriation will weaken educational opportunity, threaten the development of future Indigenous artists and leaders, and severely undermine a mission that Congress has supported for decades. We urge Congress to reject this proposal and support IAIA in FY 2027 at $14.1 million.”

OSHA to Host April 8 Webinar to Support 2026 Safety Stand-Down Efforts

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is hosting an April 8 webinar aimed at helping employers across all industries participate in the 2026 Safety Stand-Down.

The session will provide guidance for employers planning events tied to the 20th annual Georgia Struck-by Alliance Safety Stand-Down, held each year during National Work Zone Awareness Week. During these events, employers are encouraged to pause work and focus on preventing serious injuries and fatalities through training, education, and demonstrations of safe workplace practices.

OSHA staff will share free compliance assistance resources, information about consultation services, and details on the agency’s Safety Champions Program. The webinar will also offer practical ideas for organizing stand-down events and explain how employers can register their activities to receive a workplace safety certificate.

The agency recommends employers host safety stand-downs during nationally recognized observances such as National Work Zone Awareness Week (April 20–24) and Workers Memorial Day (April 20–24).

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