Dallas City Councilwoman Carolyn Davis, center in pink, at her 2013 swearing in at the Meyerson Symphony Center. (David Taffet/Dallas Voice)
UPDATE: Police announced this afternoon that Melissa Lashan Davis-Nunn died yesterday (Tuesday, July 16) from injuries incurred in the Monday night accident that also claimed the life of her mother, former Dallas City Councilwoman Carolyn Davis. Police said that the man who allegedly caused the crash, Jonathan Moore, 36, is now facing a second charge of intoxication manslaughter.
UPDATE: The man arrested and charged in connection with the accident that killed former Dallas City Councilwoman Carolyn Davis has been identified by police as Jonathan Moore, 35. The 26-year-old woman injured in the crash remained hospitalized in critical condition as of 3:30 p.m. today (Tuesday, July 16).
Former Dallas District 7 City Councilwoman Carolyn Davis, 57, was killed in a two-car accident last night (July 15) by a suspected drunk driver on East Ledbetter in South Dallas. A 26-year-old woman who was a passenger in Davis’ car was taken to Baylor in critical condition.
Davis served four terms on the Dallas City Council.
During her tenure, she served on the committee that oversees the city of Dallas pension funds. Before marriage equality, city employees in same-sex relationships were fighting for equality in their pensions. A city employee who was married at the time of retirement could leave pension payments to their spouse should the retired employee die first; those in same-sex relationships couldn’t.
Davis was among the board members who championed equality on the pension board and with her help, LGBT employees achieved pension equality even before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of marriage equality.
In March, however, Davis was found guilty of taking bribes from a real estate developer. She was to be sentenced in September and was facing up to three years in prison.
According to police reports, at 7:44 p.m., Davis was driving west in the 2400 block of East Ledbetter, in the center lane, when her vehicle — a 1995 Cutlass Ciera — was struck head on by a 2007 Mazda Tribute, which was headed east on Ledbetter.
The driver of the Mazda, a 35-year-old man, was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Police said that while he remains in the hospital, he has been arrested and is expected to be charged with intoxication manslaughter and intoxication assault. His name will not be released until those charges are made official, police said.
— David Taffet
