Woman sentenced to more than 12 years in prison after accident in Downtown Tunnel that killed LGBTQ activist

NORFOLK, Virginia – A woman has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to the drunken manslaughter of a Hampton Roads transgender activist that led to a wrong-way crash in the Downtown Tunnel late last year.

Dominique Goodwin, 27, was sentenced to 12 years and four months in prison on Tuesday after pleading guilty to aggravated manslaughter.

In the early morning hours of December 30, 2023, Goodwin was driving in Portsmouth after a night of drinking, according to the Virginia State Police (VSP). At some point, she turned the wrong way onto a one-way street. From there, she continued east toward Norfolk on the west side of the Downtown Tunnel.

Halfway through the tunnel, then within the Norfolk city limits, Goodwin collided head-on with another vehicle, killing the driver on impact. That driver was Shelby Riddick-Walker, better known in the community as Lexus or Lex. She was a prominent member and activist in Hampton Roads' LGBTQ+ community.

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Paramedics pronounced Riddick-Walker dead at the scene and took Goodwin to a nearby hospital for further treatment.

After the accident, investigators obtained a search warrant for Goodwin's hospital records. They found that less than an hour after the fatal accident, medical personnel had determined that Goodwin had a blood alcohol level of 0.22 – nearly three times the legal limit. Investigators also found an empty liquor bottle in Goodwin's car. Toxicologists could not detect any alcohol in Riddick-Walker's blood.

Goodwin's trial was scheduled to begin Wednesday, but on Tuesday she agreed to plead guilty to the charges and serve 12 years and four months in prison. That agreement also stipulated that she would be placed on probation for an additional seven years and eight months, on the condition that she lose her driver's license and complete five years of consistent good behavior and three years of supervised probation after her release.

The judge overseeing her case accepted Goodwin's plea agreement and sentenced her accordingly.

“Dominique Goodman chose to drive while under the influence. Ms. Goodwin killed Shelby Riddick-Walker, a beloved mentor to many in the trans community,” said Norfolk District Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Shelby did not deserve her death and we lost the light of her work too soon. Ms. Goodwin will now serve a lengthy prison sentence. I hope that Ms. Goodwin's acceptance of responsibility and level of accountability will provide some closure for Shelby's family and friends. We will continue to pursue the people who kill our neighbors, whether with guns or cars.”