FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — The family of a Fairfax County woman killed on the side of an interstate is sharing their thoughts one day after the driver was indicted.
Katherine Reyes, 20, died in a wreck in March after a vehicle collided with her car as she stopped on the shoulder to fix a flat tire, according to authorities.
Cell phone video captured by a witness showed the fiery aftermath.
Police arrested Devon Lesesne, an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC) in the District and the former vice president of the D.C. Young Democrats, for allegedly driving under the influence when he hit Reyes.
On Tuesday, the Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office announced a grand jury indicted Lesesne for involuntary manslaughter.
"This is a tragic incident that could have been avoided, and our hearts break for the family of this young woman,” Commonwealth's Attorney Descano said. "There are no winners in this situation. I am committed to working toward accountability in a manner that promotes healing for the family and our wider community."
Despite the indictment, the emotional toll has only intensified for loved ones.
Reyes' aunt Cris Iraheta has been traveling back and forth since the summer to Alabama to help tend to her mother.
"Every day I have to see my sister and she looks depressed," Iraheta told WUSA9. "She doesn't have motivation for anything. I'm here in Alabama trying to help her get through it and trying to get the whole family through it. Our pain is still here and is still fresh every single day. "
Lesesne could face up to 10 years in prison, but the possible fate is not enough for Iraheta.
In a previous court hearing, she watched as a judge denied his bond request.
"I'm sorry to say this but he looks like he has no sympathy of anything he has done," Iraheta said. "My niece is not coming back. He's still alive to me. It's a trip at a hotel for him."
Lesesne is scheduled to appear in Circuit Court Thursday, where he will be arraigned. He remains in custody without bond.
While he is still technically an ANC, others on the commission have handled his legislative duties since the incident.