RICHMOND, Va. -- Family, friends and city leaders gathered Saturday as an honorary street sign was unveiled to celebrate the legacy of a VCU graduate student killed in May.
Shawn Soares died after police said a driver ran onto the sidewalk following a crash on Main Street and hit the 26-year-old as he was walking to his last exam of the semester.
Katherine Jordan, a member of Richmond City Council, worked with her colleagues to approve the honorary renaming of a section of the street in his honor.
Jordan said she will never forget Soares' smile as well as his energy and enthusiasm for making the world a better place.
In the wake of the crash, the city sped up a project to add speed tables to the street to slow down traffic. That section of Main Street has been on the city's radar through their High Injury Street Network because of the number of serious and fatal crashes.
Soares' family and friends said they feel the changes are fitting because the 26-year-old centered his short-lived career around being a change agent through his advocacy work and community outreach.
He worked at the Virginia Conservation Network, but also was known as the youngest person to serve in former Gov. Ralph Northam's administration
“He fought for justice in the environmental state, he fought for justice for those that didn’t have a voice, he fought for justice for those who did not have housing,” Councilmember Stephanie Lynch said.
The honorary marker was unveiled at the 300 block of West Main Street.
“For a street in the city to be named after Shawn is what he deserves. This street name is not just an honor, it's a testament to Shawn’s enduring legacy — a legacy that lives on every day,” Anna Bryson, Soares' girlfriend, said.
While friends and family continue to grieve, they said they were grateful people will permanently see his name and ask about his legacy.
“His light lives on in us when we live like he did," Bryson said. "When we stand up for what is right, when we stand up for the truth. When we help those who need it, and when we are there for each other like he was for all of us who are here today."
