Family grieves tragic loss in 2020 speed racing crash

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Two people are facing manslaughter charges stemming from a deadly 2020 crash that was the result of speed racing, authorities say.

On July 19, 2020, Joann Mardis had just left for her shift at Elmer’s Café in her F-150 truck when she was seriously injured in a crash in Northeast Portland. She had been turning right onto NE 122nd Avenue near Russell Street when a car slammed into her. Her daughter, Alexandria Doyal, said the force “spun my mom’s truck out and another car hit her from the other side.”

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Joann sustained two broken legs, broken ribs, a fractured hip and damage to her spine. She had multiple surgeries — but sadly, they were not enough. Joann died on July 27, 2020.

Now, about 20 months later, Portland police say investigators have determined this fatal crash was the result of a speed racing incident.

The two drivers allegedly involved, 32-year-old Vladimir Pavlov and 20-year-old McKinley Faria, have both been booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center and face charges of second-degree manslaughter and negligent homicide.

Faria pleaded not-guilty to both charges earlier Monday and Pavlov will appear in court on Tuesday.

Faria is being held at Multnomah County Detention Center. Pavlov was released on bail, which was set at $270,000 for both men.

Joann’s family said they were surprised that it took so long to bring charges, but are glad they came, even though it brings up a lot of pain.

“If I would’ve just talked to her a few minutes longer if we would’ve hugged before she went to work a few minutes longer then when she got to the end of the street those guys would’ve been gone … And I told her that when I met her at the hospital and her response to that was then they would’ve just hit somebody else and they might’ve hit kids in the car,” said Joann’s husband, Larry Madris. “Instead of being bitter and angry about what happened to her, her thoughts were about other people.”

“My opinion of people who choose to race especially on main roads like this where there are regular people who are not racing, where there are children in vehicles, elderly in those vehicles, moms, dads, grandmas, grandpas … you make a choice to do something like that and you are selfish. You are selfish and you don’t care about other people,” Doyal added. “Nobody believes they intended to hurt anybody when they walked out their front doors that day but what they did do is they walked out and they got in vehicles and they intentionally decided, they made a decision directly their on their own, they made a decision to speed.”

Doyal also said that there have been multiple milestones over the last two years that she desperately wishes her mother could have been a part of, including the birth of her son.

“For me, losing her and knowing that my kids don’t get to see her and they don’t get that experience … it hurts,” Doyal said.

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