Boy aged 17 driving Mercedes struck and killed six-year-old girl getting off school bus then drove on, cops say
Police say a 17-year-old driver struck and killed six-year-old Mariana Espinoza as she crossed a Charlotte street after getting off her school bus, then left without calling emergency services. The case has drawn attention to the circumstances of the fatal collision and the allegation that the driver fled.
Espinoza, a Devonshire Elementary School pupil, was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries and died the next day. Police say Lachevis Finnie was arrested on Monday and charged with felony hit-and-run resulting in death; court filings say he admitted striking the child and said he fled because he was scared. His bond was set at $2.5 million, and another filing said he did not have a valid driving licence.
In short
- Six-year-old Mariana Espinoza died after being struck in Charlotte.
- Police say the 17-year-old driver left the scene.
- The accused faces a felony hit-and-run charge.
Explained simply
North Carolina law treats leaving the scene of a crash that causes a death as a felony, meaning a serious criminal offence. Police say the driver was 17 and did not have a valid driving licence; court filings say he admitted hitting the child and told investigators he left because he was scared.
School buses stop to let pupils get on and off, and children may need to cross the road after leaving the bus. The case involves Mariana Espinoza, a six-year-old pupil at Devonshire Elementary School in Charlotte, and Lachevis Finnie, who has been charged; a charge is an allegation, and the court process will determine the case.