The families of Mackendy Jules, 30, and Samuel Artez Martindale, 35, the two men who were killed by 22-year-old Alyza Rachel Russell when she plowed her mother's 2012 Porsche Panamera through some bushes and into a parking lot, slamming into the two men, have been awarded a joint $2.2 million.
The two victims were known to be part of the homeless community in Fort Lauderdale. The parking lot where they were killed was a regular hangout spot for them.
See also: Two Men Killed After Being Struck by Porsche; Driver May Have Been Under the Influence
Russell killed the men on June 13 shortly before 2:15 a.m. in the parking lot at Broward Boulevard and SW Fifth Avenue, east of Interstate 95, near downtown Fort Lauderdale.
Martindale was dragged under the Porsche for some distance. He died later that day at Broward General Medical Center.
The tragic scene at the parking lot was of a mangled bike, a black cap, and a pair of white sneakers strewn about near a pool of blood. Not long after the crash, the pole near the bushes Russell crashed through had a handwritten message reading, "God took an angel."
Russell had been accompanied by two passengers at the time of the crash, but none of the passengers was injured. After the accident, she and the vehicle's passengers cooperated with investigators.
Toxicology reports showed that Russell was driving with a blood-alcohol level of .17 at the time of the accident. She eventually turned herself in.
Russell has been in trouble with her driving in the past.
Back in January, she entered a plea of no contest for a charge of driving without a valid driver's license. At the time, she was driving a 2009 Porsche.
There is a criminal case pending against Russell, but the families of the dead men pursued a wrongful-death suit against her.
But instead of a trial, Russell's family agreed to settle. The families of the two men will have $2.2 million to divvy among themselves.
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