The parents of a 13-year-old girl who was run over by a suicidal driver in Malibu in 2010 are appealing to California Gov. Gavin Newsom to stop the felon from being released after a parole board approved his suitability to be released. 

Michel and Ellen Shane lost their daughter, Emily, in 2010 when Sina Khankhanian went on a maniacal 17-mile drive along the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), wildly weaving between vehicles at high speed before eventually plowing into Emily and killing her.

Emily, described by her parents as a carefree, fun-loving teen who enjoyed sports and dancing, was returning from a sleepover at a friend’s house and had been walking on the side of the road to her usual pickup spot to meet her father when Khankhanian ultimately took her life.

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.”