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A high school youth was struck and killed on a rainy night by a 20-year-old woman about a year ago. That woman plead guilty to a car accident involving wrongful death and was sentenced to one to five years in prison, the minimum mandatory sentence for a felony charge.
The defendant is eligible for the work release program offered at the Montgomery County Prison where she is to serve. She also agreed to pay $500 to the scholarship fund set up in the victim’s name. The judge did point out that such a pledge was not legally binding.
The 17-year-old victim walked in front of the woman’s car and died because of injuries sustained at impact, according to a witness. The defendant was not impaired by either drugs or alcohol, but she ‘panicked’ after hitting the girl and kept driving. Her car was stopped less than three miles away where she admitted her involvement.
Had the defendant stopped at the scene, she would not have been charged with a crime. The investigation ended up determining that the defendant was not the cause of the accident, but that the teen walked into the road herself.
The popular teenage high school student, who was active in lacrosse and field hockey, was out celebrating the school’s basketball championship with other students and had been drinking. The victim’s father said that the girl had been arguing with her boyfriend that night. The boy followed the young lady in his vehicle after she stormed out of his house on foot. He actually saw the hit and run.
An earlier charge was brought against the defendant stating that she was driving without a license, but that charge was eventually dropped. Apparently, when she moved from one state to another there was an administrative error following a paid traffic ticket. In Brooklyn as well as Long Island these mistakes are often made.
The girl’s parents are trying to keep the memory of their daughter alive through scholarships and other means. The scholarship is to help student athletes and the Senior Class Trip Fund is to help students at her alma mater attend school functions. “Going positive is a fight, but it’s the only way to go,” the victim’s father states. “She was the kind of kid when she walked into a room, she put a smile on your face.”
When accidents happen, there may be legal recourse to help victims and their families recover just compensation for their injuries. Contact Stephen Bilkis and Associates. They will review your case and help you in every way that they can.