Alleged Dallas Drunk Driver Hits & Kills Woman Standing On Curb
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DALLAS (CBS 11 NEWS) - As family and friends grieve for 34-year-old Emily Javadi, they are comforted by the kind of person she was, and how she lived.
Javadi's brother-in-law, Michael Morigi, said, "Emily was one of the most loving and happy people and she is going to be sorely missed."
On Wednesday, Javadi's friends brought flowers, photos, and cards to a spot near McKinney Avenue and Elizabeth Street. The location is where Javadi was struck and killed Tuesday by alleged drunk driver Travis Elwell.
It was around 5:30 p.m. when she parked and was standing on the curb, leaning into her back seat. Javadi was getting ready to workout when police say Elwell, 23, was speeding, and slammed into her parked car.
Javadi was thrown into a pole and later died at Parkland Hospital from her injuries.
"Right now, my in-laws and my beautiful wife are nothing short of devastated," Morigi, said. "This is a tragic event."
While she worked in the procurement office at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, Javadi's brother-in-law says Javadi recently started a cake-pop business on the side.
In a picture she posted on Facebook, she said she was doing what she loved. Morigi said, "That really was her future and her dream."
According to her family, Javadi had also started playing classic violin again. "She was so genuine in her nature, not all of us are good at things we just start right out of the gate, and for her, it was all about the journey and the challenge."
Dallas city councilman Philip Kingston represents Uptown. "I've been fearful of this outcome a long-time." He says this tragic accident proves changes need to be made to this stretch of McKinney Avenue.
"Those streets are designed incorrectly," Kingston said flatly. "They're designed for high-speed travel no matter what the speed limit sign says, you've got a long, multi-laned, one way street, you're going to have people drive too fast."
Javadi's brother-in-law says, "Anything that can be done to increase pedestrian safety is always beneficial."
Councilman Kingston says he would like to see McKinney Avenue made into a two-way street and include features that would slow traffic down.
Javadi's relatives say they will cremate her remains and hold a celebration of life event next week.
As for Elwell, he remains in the Dallas County jail on a $50,000 bond.
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