The parents of a 13-year-old girl who was struck by a suicidal driver in Malibu in 2010 are urging California Gov. Gavin Newsom to prevent the felon from being freed following a parole board’s decision to release him.
Michel and Ellen Shane grieved the loss of their daughter, Emily, in 2010 after Sina Khankhanian engaged in a reckless 17-mile spree on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), dangerously maneuvering through traffic at high speeds before fatally hitting Emily.
Emily, characterized by her parents as a carefree, vivacious adolescent who had a passion for sports and dancing, was walking back from a sleepover when the tragic incident occurred as she made her way to her usual meeting point with her father along the road.
Emily Shane was killed in 2010. (Provided by the Shane family)
They say he was off his medication at the time of the incident and therefore can’t be trusted to stay on the pills should he be released.
Despite their ongoing grief, the Shanes have sought to make some good come out of their loss.
Michel and Ellen Shane are appealing to California Gov. Gavin Newsom to stop Sina Khankhanian from being released. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images/File)
Michel, who was the executive producer for movies such as “Catch Me If You Can” and “I, Robot,” has become a road safety advocate and made his own documentary to shine a light on the notoriously treacherous 21-mile strip of the PCH – much of which has no sidewalks for pedestrians or lacks substantial embankment – and he is developing a mobile app game to teach young people about driving.
There were 537 crashes resulting in 779 injuries and 23 fatalities from 2018 through 2023, according to California Department of Transportation data. In 2023, four Pepperdine University students were fatally struck on the PCH as they walked to an event, and their deaths are discussed in the documentary.
The couple also sought to remember Emily by creating a nonprofit in her name, the Emily Shane Foundation, which provides personalized academic learning and mentoring to middle school students with learning difficulties.
Ellen said Emily had mild learning difficulties, too, and the initiative is a way of honoring her memory. So far, the nonprofit has helped more than 1,100 students in 14 schools across Los Angeles, and the couple says they are always looking for donations to help fund the program.
“It’s interesting how a tragedy, probably the worst tragedy, has changed the entire trajectory of my life,” Ellen said, adding that it’s become her “life’s passion.”
“I cannot tell you how incredibly rewarding it is to see these children … be instilled with confidence and motivation, realize that there are no limits to achieving their goals and dreams. That, to me, is so rewarding and significant and a beautiful testimony to Emily. So, it’s interesting how things unfold in life.”
