The woman killed in a head-on crash in Southeast D.C. early Sunday was a passenger in a Lyft car, her family and the ride-hailing company say.
Talata Williams, of Southeast D.C., died after she was hurt in a crash about 12:30 a.m. Sunday on the 2400 block of Good Hope Road SE, D.C. police said Monday. She was 43.
The Lyft driver and someone driving a pickup truck were seriously injured. Police say the pickup truck driver was responsible for the crash.
"I don't understand why she had to go like this," Williams' devastated mother, Deborah Redd, said at a candlelight vigil Tuesday night.
Williams had been on her way home from work, her family said.
Williams was riding in a Honda Accord headed east on Good Hope Road, less than a half-mile northwest of the Skyland Town Center development, when the driver of a Dodge pickup truck headed the opposite direction crossed over the double yellow lines, police said.
The Dodge hit the Honda head-on, pushing it several feet. The force of the crash horrifically mangled the hood of the sedan, video footage from the scene shows.
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Medics arrived and pronounced Williams dead.
The drivers of both the Honda and the Dodge were taken to hospitals for serious injuries, police said.
No charges have been filed against the pickup truck driver, who police did not name. Police are waiting for a toxicology report to determine whether drugs or alcohol played a role.
At the vigil Tuesday, Williams' sister Tiffany Williams raged against the pickup truck driver.
"Why was you on the other side of the street?" she demanded, looking right into the camera. "My sister was on her way home from work. That's all she wanted to do: get home."
Lyft confirmed on Wednesday that a driver of theirs was hurt in the crash. The company sent its condolences to the families.
"Our hearts go out to those affected by this incredibly tragic incident," a representative said. "We are in contact with the family of the driver and are providing our support during this difficult time. We are working to make contact with the family of the passenger. We have also reached out to law enforcement to offer our assistance in any investigation."
The D.C. police department's Major Crash Investigations Unit has the case.
Anyone with information on the crash is asked to call police at 202-727-9099.
