A D.C. man has been charged with negligent homicide for allegedly hitting two pedestrians as they walked at Hains Point in April 2021, killing them. The U.S. Park Police announced that Melvin D. Conley, 61, was arrested Tuesday had his first court appearance on Wednesday.

The incident drew attention because the two victims, Waldon Adams and Rhonda Whitaker, were well-known homeless advocates who had experienced bouts of homelessness and substance abuse during their own lives, but had stabilized after they found housing. They both later committed themselves to helping others living in similar circumstances.

According to initial police reports, the two were out on a walk on a bright spring day almost two years ago at Hains Point, a popular destination for runners, cyclists, walkers, and fishermen. They were both hit by a driver who then left the scene. Though Park Police later tracked the driver down, they did not identify him, saying only that they would continue to investigate what happened.

The scope of that investigation is detailed in charging documents filed in D.C. Superior Court against Conley. In them, police say that multiple witnesses reported seeing Conley hit Adams and Whitaker as they were walking in the inside lane of the road that circles Hains Point. (The roadway is shared by all users; the documents note that a designated walking path “is in very poor condition with many sections completely closed to foot traffic.”) While witnesses said the driver seemed to be going at a “moderate speed,” the witnesses said Conley allegedly “ran over them like a speed bump and kept going.” One witness told police that Conley “picked up speed and sped off” even as people were yelling at him to stop.

Police found a license plate for the vehicle at the scene, and later tracked it to the address in Southeast D.C. where it was registered. The vehicle — a pickup truck — showed evidence of significant damage to the front end. Officers spoke to Conley about the incident, and he told them that he suffered from multiple health conditions and had likely blacked out during the incident. He told police similar periods of blacking out had happened before as he was driving, though without any crashes or accidents.

A doctor hired by the Park Police reviewed Conley’s medical records and, according to court documents, “did not find evidence of the symptoms reported by the defendant during his interview or of any tests that would suggest a medical cause for such symptoms.” The charging documents also indicate that Conley did not make an effort to call police, even after he realized his truck was damaged.

Conley’s attorney was not immediately available to comment.

Whitaker’s family told DCist/WAMU last year that after the initial incident, Park Police did not share Conley’s name with them, delaying their ability to file a wrongful death insurance claim. That differs from standard practice with the Metropolitan Police Department and other local police agencies, which say they do share names to allow civil claims to proceed. DCist/WAMU filed an open-records request last year for the initial Park Police report from the incident; that request remains outstanding.

Even though the number of pedestrians and cyclists killed on area roads has increased in recent years, charges are not always brought against drivers.

A former law enforcement official who spoke to DCist/WAMU on the condition of anonymity last year said that some traffic deaths are easy cases to close quickly; those tend to involve clear cases of excessive speed, obvious negligence, or impairment. But they said that other cases are less clear cut, and can leave prosecutors and grand juries struggling to decide if what seems like an accident should merit prosecution that could end in jail time or a prison sentence.

In D.C., negligent homicide charges can be brought when “a person who, by the operation of any vehicle in a careless, reckless, or negligent manner, but not wilfully or wantonly” kills someone else. It’s punishable by as much as five years in prison or fined $12,500.