In the early hours of May 23, 2020, the life of 14-year-old David Hassan Evans was tragically cut short in Indianapolis. A male described as kind and respectful, he was walking a friend home to ensure their safety when he and two other teenagers were struck and killed in a devastating hit-and-run crash. The other victims were identified as 13-year-old Tyjiana Velez and 15-year-old Kierra Brown.
The incident occurred around 1:20 a.m. on Kessler Boulevard North Drive and Nobscot Drive.
Witnesses reported seeing two vehicles, a Chevrolet Tahoe and another car, driving at alarmingly high speeds, weaving in and out of traffic as if they were racing. Estimates suggested the cars were traveling at approximately 100 miles per hour in an area with a 35 mph speed limit. The two vehicles collided, with one of them then striking the three teenagers who were walking on the shoulder of the road.
An investigation by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department led to the arrest of two suspects: 49-year-old Okadema Link and 24-year-old Shantiana Willis. Link, who was reportedly Willis's father, initially fled the scene but later turned himself in, admitting his Tahoe was the vehicle that struck the teens. Data recorders from the vehicles indicated that just before the crash, Willis was driving at 91 mph and Link at 71 mph. Police believed both speed and driver impairment were contributing factors to the tragic event.
Following their arrests, both Link and Willis faced a battery of serious charges. The Marion County Prosecutor's Office charged them both with three counts of reckless homicide and causing death when operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Link also faced three counts of leaving the scene of an accident, while Willis was charged with three additional counts of causing death when operating a vehicle while intoxicated. The case highlighted the devastating consequences of reckless and intoxicated driving, leaving a community to mourn the senseless loss of three young lives.
