It appears as if the “the post-traumatic stress disorder I got when I lived in post-war Albania suddenly kicked in” defense didn’t work too well for Jorida Davidson: a D.C. jury found the 31-year-old guilty of negligent homicide for hitting Kiela Ryan with her SUV near Dupont Circle last October.
The negligent homicide charge carries a maximum sentence of 5 years; Davidson was also found guilty on charges of leaving the scene of an accident with an injury and driving under the influence.
Davidson allegedly crossed two lanes on Connecticut Avenue then hit Ryan, who was reportedly thrown about ten feet in the collision, before driving away. Thanks to the help of a cyclist who saw the incident, Montgomery County police found Davidson behind the wheel of her Lexus SUV inside a garage later that morning, where she was placed under arrest. Prosecutors argued during the trial that Davidson was drunk when she hit Ryan, who was out celebrating her 25th birthday.