MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Brittany Arviso, 25, was sitting in her car that was already involved in an accident on Interstate 240 Monday morning when it was struck by another car driven by 25-year-old Jalen Jackson.
According to police, the impact split Arviso’s car and ejected her from the vehicle. She later died from her injuries.
Witnesses told police Jackson was driving recklessly, swerving around cars at a high rate of speed when he crashed in the victim’s Honda Civic.
Arviso’s cousin, Kayla Reyes, said she is in disbelief over the death of her cousin.
“Just to know that my cousin was in a car wreck and survived it, only for him to come speeding down the freeway and split her car in half and eject her from the car,” Reyes said. “It’s just honestly, it’s very painful.”
Jarquan Brown and his family live at the Oak Grove Flats apartments. Arviso lived directly above them for a year and a half, and they became close friends.
“She was always nice to anybody she seen,” Brown said. “I mean you could ask anybody over here. When you see her, she’s waving. She was like smiling.”
Brown called his neighbor, who he’d last spoken to Saturday, a good “free spirit” person who never bothered anyone. Tuesday afternoon he placed flowers and a card at her door.
Brown said he’s seen social media posts by Jalen Jackson that shows him supposedly driving at 120 mph before the crash, and he’s outraged.
“I feel like the system needs to just throw the book at him and do whatever they can,” Brown said. “Don’t let him out on the streets because he’s, he doesn’t care. That dude did not care.”
Jalen Jackson remains in jail on a $20,000 bond.
He was charged with vehicular homicide, DUI, reckless driving, driving with a suspended licenses and possession of a controlled substance.