Two inseparable 17-year-old best friends were killed in a horrific hit-and-run last summer, and now the man accused of striking them with his car is facing murder charges after a judge’s bombshell ruling this week.
Layla Chrissa Clemons and Jaea Chatman were riding their bikes on a road in West Sacramento, California, on August 2, 2025, when authorities say a driver plowed into them and sped away. According to court documents obtained by local outlets, the suspect—identified as David Walker—allegedly told police he had downed six to eight ounces of vodka that day and blacked out before the crash.
But what happened next has left the community stunned. Prosecutors claim Walker stopped his car, made a U-turn, and drove back to the scene—reportedly to look at one of the teen girls’ bodies—before taking off again. He even spoke with two people at the scene, according to court testimony cited by KCRA.
“I can’t get the tragedy out of my mind, just thinking about how he hit her and left her sitting there,” Jaea’s mother, Satori Todd, told the outlet. “That’s haunting me at this point.”
Still, she found a sliver of peace in the disturbing detail. “It also kind of brought me a sense of peace because I feel like she was gone,” Todd said. “That helped me know that she maybe didn’t suffer.”
The two teens shared an unbreakable bond, family members say. Todd described them as inseparable, always finding their way back to each other no matter what. Layla’s family remembered her as an animal lover who dreamed of becoming a nurse, while Jaea’s loved ones set up a separate fundraiser in her honor.
On July 13, 2026, a Yolo County judge ruled that Walker faces a sweeping list of charges, including two counts of murder, four counts of gross vehicular manslaughter, two counts of hit-and-run, and one count of unauthorized vehicle use. He had previously pleaded not guilty, and it’s unclear how he will answer to the new ruling.
As the legal process unfolds, the question on everyone’s mind remains: what really happened that night on that quiet California road?