No chance to say goodbye: Family mourns the loss of Portsmouth man killed by vehicle involved in police pursuit

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The crash, near the intersection of Victory Boulevard and California Avenue was so violent, it damaged a nearby home and left a field of debris.

Portsmouth police say they were pursuing 28-year-old Ciara Elliott on fraud, forgery, and driving with suspended license charges when her 2015 Jeep Wrangler plowed into a Chrysler 200 driven by 35-year-old Calvin Majette III.

Majette was killed instantly and his wife, Temika, remains in a hospital with serious injuries.

Majette’s grieving sister, Tiffanie Hyman, told 10 On Your Side the pain of losing her brother is intensified due to pandemic-related social isolation.

“She [the suspect] took a man away from his children, and a loving husband, a devoted father, a loving brother, and a loving son,” said Hyman.

10 On Your Side looked into Elliott’s driving and criminal history and found 20 charges — at least four were dismissed — that date back to 2011 in several local cities.

The list includes convictions on driving with a revoked license in 2019, failure to have a vehicle inspected in 2011, driving over 80 mph in 2015 and misdemeanor assault in 2019.

Hyman said hearing about the driving-related charges was shocking.

Hyman has established a GoFundMe page to help with the funeral and other expenses. Majette had three young children, including Calvin Majette IV.

The family photo used for the GoFundMe page was taken a few weeks ago at Majette’s mother-in-law’s funeral.

The family is grateful for community support as they plan funeral services for the second time in a few weeks.

“It’s never going to bring him back; it’s only going to soften the sorrow for him it’s not going to make my sister-in-law’s pain go away it’s not going to undo what that young lady [allegedly] did to our family,” said Hyman.

Elliott remains in jail on no bond. She’s due in court April 22 for a preliminary hearing. Since the accident involved a pursuit by Portsmouth police, the matter is under investigation by Virginia State Police.