The approach to Dupont Circle where the
accident occurred.
On January 3, 1997, 18 year old Joviane Waltrick was killed in an automobile accident on Connecticut Avenue, approaching Dupont Circle. Her case drew international attention: the accident was attributed to a Georgian diplomat, subsequently charged with drunk driving. While international law would have permitted the diplomat to avoid arrest and prosecution, Georgia permitted the diplomat's diplomatic immunity to be lifted.
Update: on October 8, 1997, the Georgian diplomat pleaded guilty in a court in Washington D.C. to causing the accident that killed Joviane, accepting all responsibility for her tragic death.
For some time after the incident, a banner reading "Justice for Joviane / Justice for the World" hung along the highway railing as a makeshift shrine. Leading up to the banner were flowers and small placards, praising Joviane and decrying her death. She was an immigrant herself, born in Brazil; reads one placard, "Jovi was proud to be in the USA."
The approach to Dupont Circle where the
accident occurred.